The Flower that Blooms in Adversity
by Sianascera
Summary: The war has taken years of his life from him, but all of it might just have been worth it when Kagami Taiga is assigned a new handler. But Akashi Seijuurou comes with baggage of his own, and a mission that holds the key to salvation - or doom.
1. Chapter 1

A few things you should take note of before reading:

\- First of all, this is in no way a representation of the current political situation or my political views. I have picked the nations and their affiliations solely due to inevitabiltiy - Japan being the home of the characters - or convenience - mostly geographical convenience, i.e. close to Japan.

\- Secondly, this was partially inspired by the amazing fic Skype Poetry on AO3 which I would link if ffnet would allow me such a thing. The setting is completely different, but if you have read SKype Poetry you will see some similiarities regarding characterization. I strongly recommend reading that fic if you haven't already.

\- Lastly, this was amzingly fun to write and I hope you have just as much fun reading!

Edit: beta'ed now by the wonderful stefanyd!

* * *

Days like this were just the worst.

Taiga kicked at a pebble on the ground. The small stone bounced off the ground and disappeared somewhere in the rubble that covered the ground behind the infirmary tent. It did little to alleviate the frustration he was feeling. He sighed, shoving his fists into his pockets in an effort to quell the growing aggravation.

He wished he were more surprised that this day was proving to be as spectacularly shitty as he'd feared it would be. He just had had that feeling when he had woken up this morning. There had been something in the air, that special smell that preempted a major battle or skirmish and those always ended in downright shit.

"Oi, you there." Taiga was pulled from his thoughts by a rude voice. It belonged to one of the newbies they'd carted in a few days ago. Lieutenant, judging by the polished insignias on his uniform. The face placed him as a youngster, about Taiga's age, which meant shit considering the glaring difference in actual combat experience. In short, he was the type - _enthusiastic_ and without the experience to back it up - that Taiga hated the most. "Where's your handler? You're not supposed to be on your own."

Taiga threw a thumb over his shoulder, pointing towards the small gray tent right behind the infirmary tent. The tent held the casualties of this morning's battle, the first ones they'd had in a while. HQ had ordered to lay low, but with the new arrivals that was bound to be over. Inside the infirmary the nurses and doctors were still busy with treating the injured. His own handler had bitten the dust just half an hour ago. Grenade launcher, a classic. "In there." He said.

The man stared for a moment, before comprehension dawned on him. His face, already puffed out in rage, morphed into a nasty sneer that let him age by at least a decade. "What a disgrace," he spat out. And then, because he was young and didn't know better, he actually spat at Taiga's feet. "Why are you still alive? You should be dead instead." Oh God, not just a green behind the ears newbie, also one of those firmly Imperialistic 'to die for the fatherland is an honor' fanatics. Fucking fantastic.

"Yeah, well. It happens." Taiga had been through this too often to really get riled up about it.

The man sputtered. "What the fuck are you saying? You're supposed to protect your handler with your life. Fuck, why else would we even tolerate the likes of you?"

Taiga forced a deep breath. "Whatever." He muttered and turned to walk away. But before he could get very far, his arm was roughly grabbed and he was forced around.

"You listen here you little shit. I won't accept good people dying because fuckwits like you don't do what they're told. You better apologize on your knees or I'll drag your ass to Commander Imayoshi and tell him of your attitude problem. He'll put you down like the dog you are."

Taiga yanked his arm out of the man's grip. "Leave me alone." He snapped. Already, he could feel the faint vibration of his collar, a warning to calm down or else. He fucking hated that thing. Taiga was not in a combat situation. During downtimes the collar strictly regulated his stress level. If he got any more aggravated, the collar would first shock him and then release a hefty dosage of sedative into his blood stream, knocking out his lights for at least a few hours. Which fucking sucked.

"Apologize or I'll make you." And judging by his expression, the man _knew_ that.

Taiga gritted his teeth. The vibration had picked up. He tried to calm down, but it was difficult. His track record with handlers was horrid; he'd survived almost ten of them already. After his first four losses - while walking away relatively unscathed - he'd been reassigned to Imayoshi's unit, because apparently this was where all the 'problem cases' ended up. He sometimes suspected Imayoshi used him to get rid of the worst offenders. That would explain his continued existence. But he hadn't heard anything yet and he was getting edgy.

Kagami Taiga was a S.W.O.R.D - a Special War Operative Recruit for Defensive purposes, which was really more a fancy descriptor for combat slaves. But stuff like that flew with the public - fancy names and all - so that's what they went by. S.W.O.R.D.s were often high-bred individuals that had been prepared to fight their whole lives. But there were exceptions. Sometimes the institute - where the breeding and training took place - pulled individuals from the street to bring in fresh blood and potential. The war had a way to eat through their resources and that included soldiers.

A S.W.O.R.D. was a tool. They were usually sent on special missions, the highly risky kind with low survival chance, but Taiga wasn't trusted with those kinds of missions. Instead he was usually assigned to a high ranking officer as their bodyguard. And they continued doing that even though his handlers tended to die rather brutally.

And there was the fact that Taiga had yet to sustain a serious injury from those events. One time a bazooka warhead had literally exploded on top of them - they'd lost their last tank weeks ago so of course they started aiming at people, the fuckers - and Taiga had gotten a few burns and nothing else. His handler had been less lucky. He'd lost his legs and then his life.

He'd rather not stir up any more trouble than he absolutely had to, but he wasn't about to take some god damn newbie's abuse.

Just then, another voice called out to them, "Oi Kagami. The Commander wants to see you."

Taiga breathed a sigh of relief. He hated dealing with Imayoshi but at least he was used to ignoring that particular urge to bash someone's head in. He nodded towards the Lieutenant - who looked about to pop a vein - and walked off.

Imayoshi's tent didn't stand out among all the others, except for its reduced size and the two guards posted outside. Imayoshi liked to bump shoulders with his soldiers, but Taiga figured it was all a farce anyway. Secretly, Imayoshi harbored homicidal thoughts about all of them, of that Taiga was certain. He just hoped he would be far gone when he finally cracked.

"Ah Taiga, what a pleasure to see you." Imayoshi greeted with his perpetual fake smile.

Taiga didn't respond.

If possible, Imayoshi's smile widened even further "Someone's been unduly excited." He noted casually.

Taiga tensed. Imayoshi liked to remind people that he received real time feedbacks from all chips currently in use in his unit. And he could get quite intimidating if he wanted to find out the reason _why_ a certain S.W.O.R.D. had gotten elevated readings.

"It happens." Taiga said, opting for the same tone of casual indifference Imayoshi was so fond of. Imayoshi smiled. The way a hyena would smile.

"You can tell me everything, you know that Taiga."

Taiga exhaled. He had always had a short-fused temper but since he had been collared he had been forced to adapt rapid calming methods or else. Being knocked out in the middle of a heated debate about if the Lakers were better than the Clippers and how well both held up against Miami Heat was annoying to say the least. His spontaneous, involuntary nap had been taken as a forfeit and he had subsequently lost the argument.

"I know." He said. Not that he would ever get up and tell Imayoshi anything of importance. But he knew Imayoshi didn't like disobedience, even though he was far more tolerant of it than others. The thing was, Imayoshi was a grade A dick, but he was a good Commander. He took care of his soldiers and made sensible decisions and as much as he ticked Taiga off, he knew for a fact he would have long gotten the axe if it weren't for Imayoshi- and he cringed to even think that - _generosity_.

"Good. I would hate to have to put you down because you got into trouble." Imayoshi did not drop the smile. Which made the words all the more sinister.

Taiga hid a grimace. It wasn't him that got into trouble, but trouble that insisted in finding him.

"It's been a few hours since poor Captain Tanaka bit the dust. I suppose that is enough time of mourning, is it?"

More like half an hour, but Taiga wasn't going to argue. He had barely known Tanaka. He had been assigned to him a few weeks ago and the Captain had made it clear he had no interest in Taiga beyond his combat abilities.. Taiga hadn't minded. All his handlers had been like that and it wasn't that he looked to _befriend_ them. He was their slave, he would do what he had to, to keep his head and that was that.

Imayoshi, of course, read his silence accordingly."I have a new assignment for you."

Taiga suppressed a sigh. That was fast. He'd hoped for a few days of downtime at least. Well, at least he hadn't gotten the axe, so that was a relief. "This one's a special one." Imayoshi's smile was filled with genuine glee. Which translated to 'oh shit' in Taiga's mind. "Son of an influential businessman with a hand in arm's dealing and the likes. He's been a big supporter of the war through his efforts. He's also a rather enthusiastic supporter of minister Ebizawa. I guess it pays to forward war efforts if you make your money on it." He looked at Taiga as though he expected input, which usually meant he had some fundamental life lesson to bestow and was hand-guiding Taiga through the steps.

"Uh-huh?" Taiga said to convey he was at least listening. What was there to say about a man dealing arms and simultaneously backing the very one man who was responsible for Japan's role in the war during the last few years.

"The son's a prodigy." Imayoshi continued, without giving a hint if he had liked Taiga's contribution. "Rose through the ranks quickly. A strategic genius apparently. His father has been breathing down our necks to give him some real combat experience, to make him a real man so to speak…"

"And you want _me_ to be his bodyguard?" It definitely sounded nice on paper. Taiga's reputation did not just consist of dead handlers; he had some impressive kills under his belt. But the fact remained he had a tendency to lose his handlers.

"Well, let's just say a lot of people have combined interest in cutting that particular branch short." Imayoshi smirked.

"We have reason to believe, this particular businessman also deals our enemies. Well, I can't really blame him for that, but in these times patriotism is valued more than economic prowess. Imayoshi's eyes glittered behind his glasses. "It doesn't hurt that there is a certain other influential group waiting in the shadows to take over once it has become apparent that dear Akashi senior won't have an heir to take over." Imayoshi shrugged. "I don't particularly care about the gritty details."

"I'm not gonna kill him." Taiga said bluntly. If he so much as tried, the collar would kill _him_. He'd rather not risk that.

"I don't expect you to." Imayoshi smiled in that way he probably thought was brotherly and warm but was anything but. That was probably exactly what Imayoshi intended. "You merely have to spend time with him. I expect your _predicament_ will take care of the rest."

"I make no promises." Taiga said. Bad track record or not, Taiga still maintained the firm belief it was all just bad luck. Fate had nothing to do with it. And luck could change randomly.

"Of course not. I am aware that this is nothing but soldier's superstitions. I personally don't see much of a point in removing the son from the picture. And I couldn't care less about any economic interests. But I have been reminded rather pointedly that I have a duty to Emperor and country. Whatever that means."

Taiga frowned. "So you figured you assigned me to him so you have something to show?"

Imayoshi seemed pleased. "That's why I like you Taiga. You are not nearly as stupid as you try so hard to make the world belief. I expect you to be sufficiently close lipped about this. I would hate to stir up unnecessary trouble because some top brass asshole thinks to poke his nose in my business. Besides, Akashi is said to be quite the strategist. That is one asset I would not give up lightly in this war. It would be like killing your Queen without reason."

"Uh-huh." Taiga wasn't sold, but he didn't exactly have a choice. As long as he wore the collar, he had no choice in many matters. "Okay. I guess I'll try not to attract too much bad luck then?"

"That's my boy." Imayoshi said with another fox-grin.

Taiga wisely held his tongue.

~*~Captain Akashi Seijuurou was quite the commanding presence, despite his relatively young age. He swept into Imayoshi's tent as though he owned the place. He was smaller than Taiga, less muscled as well, but his posture spoke of the intense training he had to have endured. There was not a movement out of place, everything seemed to have its purpose. He had red hair, a lighter shade than Taiga's own russet color and two equally bright red eyes. He had his coat thrown over his shoulders like a cape and carried a katana in an ornate sheath in his right hand. The kind you only see on those old school pictures of World War II general attempting to revive the Imperial spirit. In Akashi's hands it didn't seem out of place however.

"Commander." He greeted with the casual grace a King would offer his subject, complete with a barely there nod and the accomplishment of looking _down_ on Imayoshi although he was taller as well as superior in rank. He completely ignored Taiga's presence, which was just about normal.

Imayoshi smiled his fox smile, unperturbed as usual. "Captain, it is a pleasure to have you here." Even Taiga could tell he didn't mean a single word he said.

Akashi inclined his head. "I am looking forward to working with you." He sounded even more insincere than Imayoshi, quite the feat really." "Now, HQ has graciously informed me of your most impressive track record. I must say I am surprised that an officer of your caliber has been assigned to this remote little corner of the world." Imayoshi was watching Akashi very closely, as though waiting for a sign of weakness.

"My father insisted I get real combat experience." Akashi said with little emotion. "This is one of the few places where direct combat between soldiers takes place. I would have preferred a different assignment. But I am here and I'd rather get it over with. I expect you have been informed of my specs?"

"Don't worry young master, I have you covered." He was smiling with real glee now.

Akashi frowned but seemed to visibly draw back into himself. "I wish to bring this war to a quick end Commander. It has cost too many lives already. On this, I assume, we can agree?"

"Oh?" Imayoshi said cheerfully. He finally sat down behind his usual table, covered in documents and files and topped off with a dud grenade that had allegedly been thrown at Imayoshi once and that he had defused with one of his trademark glares. Or so the story went. Taiga was slightly scared that it would explode randomly at some point, but Imayoshi was entirely unconcerned. "The front lines is where you make enemy contact. It is the ideal opportunity to build bonds of friendship. I am sure the enemy soldiers will gladly listen to what you have to say. You might want to throw some napalm on them first." It was, Taiga noted, not a direct answer to Akashi's question.

"The use of Napalm has been banned." Akashi said automatically, a slight frown of disdain appearing between his brows. He hadn't lost his calculating expression though and Taiga was sure that behind those brows his mind was working furiously.

"And I am not suggesting that we still use it." Imayoshi said and sounded absolutely insincere. Akashi's frown deepened. "I am just concerned for your safety. Your father has made it clear that he wishes his son to gather combat experience but I suppose he does expect you back in one piece."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Akashi muttered and Taiga had the distinct feeling it wasn't meant for any of them to hear.

"That is why I have organized you the best bodyguard that we have." Imayoshi continued without acknowledging the words. He gestured and Taiga stepped forward, pushing away from the tent post he had leaned against.

"Meet Kagami Taiga, the brightest jewel of the third artillery brigade."

Akashi looked him over. His eyes caught on the metal collar that wound around Taiga's neck, then trailed to the shoulders of his uniform jacket that had only one single band of red color, which put him at a lower rank than even the newest recruit. Imayoshi was clearly mocking them both.

"I don't need a bodyguard." Akashi said dismissively. The words _especially not a chained one_ seemed to ring after.

"About that," Imayoshi said, eyes opening wide for the first time. He was absolutely gleeful. "This is an order, Captain."

And that was that.

* * *

"I do not require your services," was the first thing Akashi said to him once they were out the Commander's tent.

"Uh… well. I can try to stay out of your way, if that's what you prefer." _It's just not a matter I have a say in_ , he added in his mind. But he didn't think Akashi would appreciate hearing it.

Akashi sighed, giving him another once over, somewhat more lingering this time. "That is to say, I have been given an order and I intend to make the best of it. I presume you have been trained?"

"Yes?" At least that one should be obvious.

"I don't expect to encounter a situation I can't handle myself, but you will do nicely as an intimidation factor. If we should encounter problems I expect you to handle yourself. That is all."

"Uh… okay." Okay, that was weird. Akashi was just enough of the confident type for Taiga to buy into his first statement, but he didn't quite expect to be dismissed this fast. He did have some decent skills or else he wouldn't have made it as far. But at least it seemed he wouldn't be required to do much.

Akashi was already walking again, not waiting for Taiga's brain to process. Taiga quickly rushed after him, falling in step behind him. That was the common arrangement his previous handlers had preferred. He was not their equal and they liked that fact to show.

Taiga was still trying to figure out what exactly proper protocol was when Akashi came to a halt in front of the infirmary tent. Taiga almost walked into him, stopping at the last second. He brushed up against Akashi anyway and hastily took a step back. Akashi did not acknowledge his blunder, which somehow made it worse. It didn't help that Akashi smelled surprisingly good. And he had totally not intended to sniff him, it had just happened.

Akashi opened the door to the infirmary tent and stepped through, Taiga once again rushing to catch up. Most of the beds were occupied by injured soldiers, but the activity from earlier had somewhat calmed down. Most patients had either made it or were dead. A tired looking nurse spotted them and came up to greet them.

"I require to see the attending doctor." Akashi said without preamble.

"Are you injured?" The nurse asked, replacing the exhausted expression on her face with one of professional detachment as she inspected the potential patient, slipping into a mode of professional efficiency with practiced ease.

"No." Akashi said and the nurse relaxed instantly.

"I'm afraid Harimoto-sensei is busy at the moment. If it is not urgent I suggest you come back later." She informed them, now looking exhausted again.

Akashi's posture shifted slightly and somehow he suddenly seemed a lot more intimidating. Taiga wondered of this was one of those occasions where his intimidation qualities were needed, but decided against it. Akashi seemed to handle it just fine. taiga did feel bad for the nurse though. "This is urgent. I'd rather not be delayed any longer" Akashi's voice was pleasant enough, but even Taiga felt the urge to take a step back.

The nurse did take a step back but otherwise seemed to take Akashi's change in attitude in stride. Being surrounded by the carnage of an ongoing war had to award some sort of thick skin. "Alright." She said and briskly turned away.

Taiga tried not to look around too much. He didn't like the place. He had spent too much time in infirmaries, waiting obediently at his handler's side like a lapdog, waiting for their inevitable death, being torn between hoping they'd make it because he couldn't do this _again_ and vindictively wishing they would die. Just because he'd come to terms with his situation didn't mean he didn't resent the people exploiting him.

Akashi for that part seemed perfectly at ease.

Harimoto appeared a moment later. He was an older man, face drawn in deep lines that made him seem even older. His eyes slipped over Akashi to Taiga and then back, giving away little of what he was thinking. He didn't greet them, merely came to a halt a few steps away from Akashi and waited.

Akashi didn't waste any time. "I need this man to be examined and tested." Akashi said, letting the situation speak of who exactly he was referring to. Taiga felt the urge to squirm to show his discomfort. He squashed the urge.

Harimoto raised an eyebrow. "I can hand you Kagami's report sheet." He said flatly.

"I wish to acquire a recent report."

"Well," Harimoto shrugged and turned away, "the S.W.O.R.D.s get examined monthly. The last examination has been two weeks ago. It is as accurate as it gets. Take that or leave."

Akashi did not huff, but Taiga thought he might as well have, for all the indignation he exuded. Considering what he heard from Imayoshi, Taiga expected him to whip out his father's name, but instead Akashi notched up the intimidation. Screw that. He shot it through the roof and all of a sudden Taiga felt weak in the knees and Akashi wasn't even focused on him. But more than that, as far as Taiga could tell, _he had not even moved an inch_. Yet, Taiga could swear he was staring at a lion poised to attack.

"I would very much appreciate a catch up." Akashi said with icy courtesy. "It doesn't have to be thorough; I merely require vitals and basic stats. I do not wish to put my life away lightly and therefore I think it is perfectly reasonable to get a decent point of reference."

"Any reason why this can't wait a week?" Harimoto asked, seemingly unimpressed.

"After the skirmish this morning, I hardly think there is a reason to belief that combat could not break out any minute." Akashi said smoothly. Taiga sensed a lie but could not tell where. He should probably feel insulted or something, but he also wasn't sure where exactly the insult nurse had sat down on an empty chair, looking quite shell shocked. A few patients stirred, restless and undoubtedly drawn by the scene. Harimoto considered for a moment, brows drawn into a slight frown. "Very well. I shall make an exception." With that he whirled around, walking off quickly towards one of the secluded examination spaces. It was stocked with a cot, a desk with a computer that was hooked to several machines and a chair. Taiga was very familiar with this room.

He was also very familiar with the procedure. Harimoto gave instructions in his usual monotone voice while he read Taiga's vitals to the nurse who typed them up into his file. All of it would be sent to his chip so that it could be easily accessed when needed.

"Take off your shirt." Harimoto ordered. Taiga hesitated. It wasn't anything unusual, but he suddenly felt rather bashful. It took him a moment to source this feeling to Akashi's presence. He'd thought he'd lost all shame in his training. Not a discovery he cared to make.

But even more than that, obedience was something he had learned the hard way. Despite his misgivings, Taiga pulled off his shirt. Reluctantly, but pride was never worth the pain of punishment. It wasn't even nudity that sparked the shame, Taiga realized once he had pulled off his shirt. He had been a member of the basketball team in his middle school and changing in a room full of boys did wonders for one's modesty. But since then his body had gone through some significant changes and even though Akashi gave no sign or reaction at all, Taiga could feel his gaze on the mess of scars that was his body. Most of them were on his back, deep ridges where the whip had eaten into his flesh.

Almost none of them were battle scars though. But that didn't help his pride - or sense of personal value.

Harimoto felt along Taiga's skin, tracing the multitude of scars to check for tissue damage. Taiga had healed badly after one especially severe beating, back in the beginning when he'd still thought he had only his pride to lose.. It had also resulted in some nerve damage that apparently needed to be monitored frequently. Taiga gritted his teeth. There were spots on his back where he didn't feel a thing and others where he was hyper sensitive. He tried his best to remain unfazed, but he couldn't help the little gasp that escaped when Harimoto traced the skin right next to his spine. That was an especially sensitive spot. Apparently, his nerves had migrated for whatever reason and set up permanent residence there. Or so Harimoto had explained it once, Taiga wasn't too sure if he had gotten it right and Harimoto was not the kind to repeat himself.

Finally, Harimoto stepped back. "No change to nerve alignment." He said in his monotone and the click clack of a keyboard followed. "I suppose that is sufficient? Or do you want to assert his virility as well?" Harimoto's voice did not give away if he was joking. Taiga felt color rise to his cheeks. He valiantly stared at the wall, willing the flush to recede.

"No, that will suffice." Akashi said absolutely unperturbed. He did not say thank you, however. Taiga pulled on his shirt and picked up his utility west that served as protection and carried most of his gear. Together with his belt, it carried most of Taiga's equipment.

He thought to nod to Harimoto in thanks, who ignored him, and followed Akashi outside. He opened his mouth to ask _what next?_ but caught himself at the last moment. He had a bad habit of running his mouth which had gotten him into a lot of trouble.

"You may speak." Akashi said and how the hell did he even know Taiga was about to when he was facing away?. "In fact, I would prefer if you speak your mind freely if we are in private. If I want quiet I will inform you. Do not presume to speak when we are in company however, unless you are prompted. Do try to be constructive though. I wish not to listen to the blabbering of an idiot."

"Okay." Taiga said, because it was the only thing that seemed to be acceptable. And then he remembered what he was _actually_ supposed to say. "Yes, sir." He said hastily. He had learned to obey as a survival strategy, that didn't mean it came easy to him or that he liked it.

"I do not value deference, if it is fake." Akashi said and Taiga, who had just assembled enough brain cells to actually form a question, shut his mouth again. "I do not have the time to train you properly, nor the patience to attempt so. This is a temporary arrangement which I intend to make the best of, given the circumstances. It will be enough if you uphold your role in public."

"Yes,s… I mean okay." Taiga said, feeling utterly and thoroughly confused. He just couldn't get a proper read on Akashi. He seemed to fluctuate constantly while seeming very much steady at the same time. Was this what they called a multi facetted person? "So, what now?"

"You may be casual, but please be precise." Akashi stopped in front of yet another tent, one of the rare one person tents reserved for high ranking officers, and stepped inside. Taiga hesitated. He had never been allowed inside his other handlers' tents. He had to either wait outside or had been dismissed to barracks tent that was reserved for S.W.O.R.D.s. But then Akashi made a rather impatient sound and Taiga quickly followed. Was there a way to get used to the unexpected? If so, Taiga would love to know how. Akashi was going to cost him years of his life, he could tell.

Akashi had pulled off his coat and was in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt. His sword leaned against the side of the cot. Taiga almost reeled back in shock but clamped the impulse down at the last second. He tried hard not to stare. Akashi was smaller and leaner than him, but he was just as muscled. They were lither in nature but Taiga did not doubt their strength. Unlike him, Akashi had perfect, unblemished skin.

Taiga tried instead to focus on the question in his mind. "You've got to have been assigned a task. I merely want to know what it is, so I can prepare accordingly. Like a briefing or something." He tried to augment his words with hand gestures but it just felt awkward. Honestly, he couldn't say if he preferred this freedom of speech to the usual proverbial muzzle he had been given. If he wasn't allowed to ask questions, he didn't have to think them up in the first place.

"I haven't been given a task specifically." Akashi said loftily. He had discarded his shirt as well and was now unbuttoning his slacks. He had thrown both shirt and coat over the back of the only chair in the tent, ignorant to the fine nature of his formal uniform. Taiga inwardly cringed as he saw the formerly pressed shirt crinkled up. It was better than to look at Akashi's slender legs and very strong thighs - and the thoughts that invariably rose up in his mind. "Or rather, I have and that is to 'become a man' as my father likes to put it. I do consider this a redundant effort on my part, but my father has a different opinion on the matter. Thus, here I am and I plan to exploit the opportunity my father so graciously offered me."

He didn't offer anything more and since Taiga really did not want to follow his stupid ass brain down the rabbit hole that was watching a naked Akashi doing anything really - and just what was up with _that_? - he strung together a mildly coherent sentence instead. "And that is?"

Akashi paused in his efforts to fish a pair of fatigues pants from the metal box at the foot of his cot. "Why, end this nonsensical war of course."

* * *

War had been a constant in Taiga's life for as long as he could remember. It hadn't quite reached home ground in his youth, but it had been ever present in the news as batches after batches of young recruits had been shipped off overseas to fight. There was a time when there was no war, but he had been even younger then and life did not change at first when Japan entered the war. He couldn't remember the transition; just one day it had become reality that there was war.

Despite that, Taiga's life had been peaceful. He had played basketball in both elementary and middle school, he had been good at it too. He would have liked to become a professional player, but the older he got, the more the war had moved into focus. With the war draining funds and resources, every teenager above the age of seventeen was required to serve their time in service of the nation. It was just how things were.

It was supposed to last three years, but reality was often different. Taiga had known his dreams of a pro career would likely never be realized. Still, he had enjoyed his childhood, despite the looming threat of war.

He would serve his time and then get a job. It wasn't ideal, but it was a perspective.

But Japan didn't fare well in the war and the high profile S.W.O.R.D. initiative - promising to bring the long-awaited turn - had barely picked off and provided few suitable candidates to actually influence the course of the war. But that was something Taiga had learned much, much later.

After the war had finally reached the Japanese islands and devastated much of its urban space. It had all been downhill from there. And at age seventeen, Taiga had been kidnapped and shipped off to one of Japan's many continental bases where he had been transformed into what he was now - a combat slave. And that had been his life for four years now.

Still, he was alive. That was more than he could say about a lot of other people.

* * *

The joint ground base of the third artillery brigade of the Japanese Defensive Forces and the ninety-sixth infantry brigade of the American army was situated a few kilometers behind the Western frontline, running through continental China. In the four years since Taiga had been volunteered for war duty, Japan had solidly gained ground, mostly thanks to the rapid advancements made in the S.W.O.R.D. initiative and their rather recent alliance with the USA. That progress had been stalled now though, as the enemy had adapted their own efforts as well. And now they were at a standstill, the main base hadn't been moved in months and it didn't seem that would change anytime soon.

That didn't mean there weren't vicious confrontations every few days with the enemy, as each side was unwilling to cede even a centimeter of hard won ground.

Despite Akashi's big words, he spent the rest of the day conversing with the soldiers and officers in the camp. He had been gathering information that much Taiga could tell. But it didn't seem especially war-centric. Akashi listened to as many stories about the soldiers' homes as war stories.

And then, after they both ate their meal in the camp's canteen tent, he spoke to the other S.W.O.R.D.s. Taiga was on a more or less friendly basis with all of them, but he didn't consider them his friends. They were okay people, but they had been bred for this role unlike him. They hadn't been bred to be smart or good company. And while they were friendly enough, there was not much common ground between Taiga and them.

The sun had begun setting after they were done with this and Akashi finally returned to his tent. Taiga, unsure if he had been dismissed yet, followed inside.

Akashi leaned his sword against one of the tent posts and began undressing, again unperturbed by Taiga's presence. Taiga awkwardly stared at the opposite wall, wondering why he was this badly affected. Akashi was attractive, both from an objective and subjective point of view. He had a fine face, a nicely muscled body, a very pleasant voice and moved with a grace that let him seem like a lion on the prowl.

In short, he was pretty much the embodiment of everything Taiga found attractive. But that alone wasn't enough to make him this flustered. Hell, he had seen quite a share of well-endowed individuals, but the stifling need to hide his sexuality had put a lid on every bit of budding attraction he might have felt. Now shouldn't be any different. Not to mention that Akashi was his god damn handler and Taiga essentially his slave.

"Should I, uh, leave?" He asked after Akashi had changed into a loose shirt. He tried his best not to stare at the well defined thighs that peaked out from under the hem of the shirt and the rim of the briefs Akashi was wearing.

"Why yes, or do you intend to sleep with me?"

Taiga swallowed. He was sure that Akashi did not mean what Taiga thought he meant. It was just oddly phrased. But that didn't help the interested twitch of his cock. _Bad timing, buddy_.

"No," Taiga said hastily. He turned around and made to retreat outside, before remembering something. "When do you need me tomorrow?"

Akashi tilted his head. He had sat down on his cot, looking surprisingly domestic, even in what was very obviously a worn down military tent. "I will get you, once I have determined tomorrow's schedule." He said airily.

"Uh, right. I'm in the big tent at the Southern end of the camp. Can't miss it, it's the only one that has guards, except Imayoshi's."

Akashi gave him an amused look. "I know where the S.W.O.R.D.s are located. We've been there just an hour ago."

"Oh." Taiga felt heat settle in his cheeks. "Okay. Good night." He said and finally fled the tent.

He did not sleep well that night.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning found Taiga with a dilemma. He had neglected to ask what exactly he should expect for this day, therefore had no idea what amount of preparation was required. Since he also didn't know what plans Akashi had or when he would come, he had no choice but to remain in the S.W.O.R.D.'s tent and wait until he showed up. And that fucking sucked because he was hungry.

Taiga pulled on his standard combat gear, figuring any extra stuff could be added later. And it was Akashi's own fault for not informing him. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. Shortly after seven thirty, Akashi walked into the tent, dressed in a shiny new combat uniform, complete with assault rifle, revolver and one sniper rifle slung over his shoulder.

"We are going out." He announced in lieu of greeting. "Have you eaten?"

"No," Taiga said. He hadn't heard of any mission and none of the other S.W.O.R.D.'s seemed to be preparing for one.

"Good. We will have something packed then. I do not wish to waste any more time." Akashi turned briskly and walked out of the tent, Taiga hastily falling in step behind him.

"What about weapons? For me I mean."

"We will get them shortly. I was informed that you are only to be handed weaponry when there is an impending battle, but I do not have the patience to serve as your personal weapon's rack."

He wasn't the least bit surprised that Akashi acquired them packed breakfast and lunch as well as weapons for Taiga. They did have to sit through a lecture about accountability and Taiga's actions being under Akashi's responsibility. Taiga had heard it a million times already, but Akashi listened with the kind of polite interest that was only ever a cover for actually not listening at all. Not that he'd cared.

They loaded their gear into one of the jeeps parked at the back of the camp. Akashi couldn't be much older than Taiga, but he still managed to move with a surety that Taiga found enviable - despite the years of combat experience he could look back on. Akashi just had something almost regal about him that made the world bow to his will.

Taiga was probably thinking about this way too much. Akashi was just some rich brat that had been groomed to take over the family company or something from an early age, so of course he was going to be way out of Taiga's league. No reason to waste anymore thoughts on it.

He sat down on the passenger seat, feeling oddly out of place. Normally, he was the one driving, as the driver was always the first one targeted by snipers. He felt the need to point that out - he _was_ supposed to be Akashi's bodyguard - but Akashi just gave him a _look_ and that was that.

The guards at the front gate approached them warily, but Akashi loftily informed them that they were heading out and should be expected back sometime in the early morning hours of the next day, but search parties were not required, should they be overdue. He then drove out onto the well trodden dirt road that wound through the hills and towards the arbitrary line in the proverbial sand that had been Taiga's sole purpose for the last few years.

Taiga knew he could ask questions, but he had no idea where to even start. "You do not waste time, do you?" Taiga eventually said. And immediately wanted to hit himself for it. It was such a dumb question. Well, it wasn't even a real question and now he just seemed inept at small talk.

"I do prefer efficiency." Akashi replied, without tearing his eyes from the road.

"I have been informed there is an old abandoned post near this route," Akashi said after they passed an old intersection, where another road wound off to the left, disappearing behind some rocky hills. "It has been irradiated, hasn't it?"

"Uh, yeah. They used these old atomic battery thingies to power it. They're small and practical, but then the Chinese blew the post up with one of their missiles and the Uranium or whatever got loose. It's not that bad, but too long exposure can do some permanent harm, that's why they closed the whole thing off. It kept us protected from that side at least, save for the occasional missile fire."

Akashi hummed. "I suppose it does say something that this was not mentioned in my briefing?"

Taiga stared at him, surprised. "It was not? But that's like basic intel around here. They even told _me_."

Akashi tapped a finger against the steering wheel. "Why is there no warning sign?"

Taiga shrugged. "To lure the enemies there? I dunno. It's hazardous I know, but it's always been that way. That's why they put it in the briefing." Taiga frowned. "You did get the handbook, did you?"

"Handbook?"

"It's not really a book. Just a pile of papers that gets handed to newbies. It's kinda worn because we don't have a printer to make new ones, but it has all the information. Like summaries of all the camp duties, what the alarms mean, what to do in case of alarm and so on."

Akashi picked up the pace of his finger tapping. "Who is in charge of this? The Commander?"

"No, I think it's one of the adjutants. Don't know which one though. I'm not really in the loop. The upper brass doesn't like to talk to the S.W.O.R.D.'s, not even their own." Taiga stared out the window. He felt on edge, like a missile or grenade was about to hit any moment now. His bad luck was already at work it seemed. But then again, this seemed way too peculiar. "You think…" He hesitated, but there was what Imayoshi had told him, "it's not an accident, is it?"

Akashi seemed surprised. He looked at Taiga for a moment before returning his attention back to the road. "I have been aware that multiple interests tie into my assignment here. IU took the liberty to gather my own information the day before. It seems it was time well invested."

Taiga recalled radiation being the topic during at least one of the conversation's yesterday, but he'd barely listened. He didn't have the energy or patience to listen to conversation after conversation about the same trivial things. Even thought they hadn't been as trivial as he'd thought.

"I should probably tell you…" Taiga bit his tongue. Was he even supposed to tell him? But Imayoshi hadn't explicitly forbidden him from telling Akashi.

Akashi threw him a sidelong glance, a sign that he was listening.

"Okay, this is going to sound weird. But I have this thing where basically every handler I ever got died. Like got their head blown off by a sniper while taking a piss. Stuff I couldn't prevent." He shook his head. "That's not the point. But there're rumors about me that I'm some kind of grim reaper that just kills all his handlers by proximity or something. I think it's bs, but the rumors stick."

"Is that why I have gathered so many looks of pity?" Akashi asked with faint amusement.

"You did? I mean, yeah probably. The thing is, there's apparently people who want you dead. And Imayoshi is supposed to make that happen. But he doesn't care. I think. He does what he wants so I don't really know. But he's been put under pressure so he figured he'd assign me to you and can claim he did something. Or maybe it's all a big ruse. Honestly, I don't know."

"That is not surprising." Akashi said. He didn't seem shocked or even surprised. "For now, I will assume Commander Imayoshi is in fact uninterested in my demise. But I expect he is not the only piece out on the board."

"You don't seem surprised." Taiga said.

Akashi huffed what could be a laugh. "No, not really. Truth be told, I expected a lot more _difficulties_. That is why I acted so fast. I suppose my enemies intended to take it slow. And they can't really object to me moving out. It would be quite the relief if I simply got myself killed, I daresay."

"For what it's worth, I'll try and keep an eye out for, you know... anything." Taiga made an awkward hand gesture, trying to encompass what he meant, without actually knowing what that was. It wasn't as though him keeping an eye out had actually ever helped. He did have enhanced eyesight but even he couldn't spot a god damn sniper three kilometers away who had buried himself in the ground to hide. But it was the sentiment that counted, right?

Akashi smiled, but it was rather wry. "It is rather peculiar that I find myself with nothing but a slave to trust. I suppose it does say thing or two about me that I do, in fact, trust you Kagami Taiga."

"Uh... thanks. I guess." The slave comment had stung, but that wasn't something he could complain about. He hated it, but it was the truth.

"To be fair though, you have done nothing yet to deserve this trust. I am concerned about this and have yet to discard the theory that you have somehow manipulated me for your own ulterior motives."

"Not to be rude or anything, but that would be giving way too much credit to me. And well, I think you're also understating yourself. I mean I don't know you, but I doubt you would fall for the likes of me trying to manipulate you."

"Do not put yourself down, Kagami Taiga. It does not suit you."

"That wasn't what… You know what, never mind."This was not something he absolutely had to explain to Akashi. As weird as the whole conversation already was.

"I would appreciate, if you elaborated. If we are to cooperate in the future, it would be favorable if we understood each other, don't you think?"

"Uh… what happened to you don't need me?"

"I still don't require your help, but as I understand it, there are certain advantages in having you around. In any case, I'd rather have someone I could rely on should it absolutely be necessary. And I suppose you do have an invested interest in my well being."

"I do? I mean don't get me wrong." Kagami hastily backpedaled. "I don't want you to die, but that's more like human decency? You haven't done anything to me and I guess it could be worse considering the circumstances." Taiga gestured to his neck. "So I wouldn't go as far as call it invested."

Akashi sighed. He seemed weary all of a sudden. "Let's just say it is in your best interest, outside of what you think of as human decency."

"Aren't we supposed to be honest with each other? I explain what I meant if you tell me why you are so important to my, uh, wellbeing? Or whatever it is I need you for apparently."

Akashi considered for a moment. "Fair enough. You start."

"Okay. I'm not good at explaining stuff, but that's basically all you need to know. I'm not smart or clever. I do not mean to put myself down or anything, it's just a fact I have recognized over the years. I mean it's basically my own fault that got me into this situation. I was careless, trusted the wrong people and well I'd rather not talk about that. And you've seen the scars. I couldn't keep my mouth shut and took too long to learn. Ah, this wasn't meant to get so negative. It's just, my strengths lay elsewhere and my mouth has gotten me into lots of trouble and I can't seem to learn to keep it shut." And apparently he was dead set on providing the evidence for that.

Akashi hummed. In front of them, a road sign warned of mines ahead. One other vehicle was parked next to it, belonging to the two scouts currently stationed at the outpost to survey enemy movement.

Akashi pulled up next to the car and killed the engine. He sat for a moment, considering, before expelling a slow puff of breath. "I read your file. It seems much of the information in it does not add up."

"Uh, okay. I guess they wouldn't put in the nitty-gritty details." Taiga shrugged. "It's not as though it matters." It did. It still mattered. It still hurt to have his freedom ripped away but he _couldn't_ think of that. He'd gone down that road and it had almost killed him.

Akashi tilted his head. Now that they had stopped he didn't have to watch the street and instead put all that focus on Taiga. "I do not stand for inaccuracies. But we don't have time for that at the moment." With that he opened the door and got out. Taiga followed.

"You're supposed to explain your part of the bargain to me." Taiga reminded him, after picking up his submachine gun, knife and hand gun. After a moment's thought, he also took the sniper rifle and slung it over his back. Akashi shot him a glance but did not object.

"Because I might as well be your only way out of enslavement." He said simply, shutting the car's doors with a loud thud.

Taiga frowned. "And how's that? Sorry, if I'm skeptical, but I don't really see a way out for me unless it's in a coffin." Not that he liked to think about _that_.

Akashi gave him a sideways glance. "What do you believe your status is in the Japanese military?"

"I'm a _S.W.O.R.D.,_ which is a rather fancy word for slave. So I'm basically just a weapon on two legs." Taiga grimaced. His drill instructor had been very insistent to call him that. As though Taiga would likely forget his new value. Or lack thereof.

The look Akashi gave him was unreadable. Not pitying and that was really all Taiga cared about. He had met a few people, both soldiers and civilians - on the rare occasions he was allowed contact - who had pitied him. He had not liked that in the least.

"Anyway, I still don't understand how you would get me out of here? I mean, aside from the fact that you'd have to care enough to try, but how? You are rich, but I'm like government property or something." He grimaced. Saying it like that was just wrong. .

Akashi finally started walking. The path they followed was protected by a wood-and -iron fence that had been made from salvaged scrap metal and wooden planks, more a sight shield than actual protection. It led to the small outpost - more a hole in the ground than a post - where the scouts lay hidden. Most of the area was under camera surveillance since the Americans arrived, but to be safe, two human scouts were also required. Usually a member of each of the regiments to balance it out.

"Taiga, have you ever read the treaty specifications regarding _S.W.O.R.D.s_ of the Japano-American alliance?"

"No, should I?"

Akashi's sigh was exasperated. "Yes. You most definitely should. The status of a S.W.O.R.D. as a person is very vaguely defined in Japan, as we do, in fact, outlaw slavery. Applying American law and definition however, leaves little room for argument on the matter.

"One condition was that every _S.W.O.R.D._ , regardless of heritage be elevated to the status of a free citizen and given the choice to either continue to fight or to return home. Now, most _S.W.O.R.D.s_ have been bred for combat and know nothing else. Presented with the choice they obviously pick what they know. I hate to say that our allies only care this much, but it is a start. You, on the other hand, would return home."

Taiga's head was reeling. They had reached the outpost now, but Taiga didn't quite want this conversation to end just yet. Not when there were answers he desperately wanted.

"That means… the chip…?"

"Is effectively illegal." Akashi stopped in front of the hatch in the ground that led inside.

"But what about…" He had wanted to ask why none of the American soldiers in their camp had ever remarked on his collar - and obvious subordination. But he had never had much contact with the soldiers beyond some rec time. And during those he had always worn his fatigues - as required by his orders - which had an unusual high collar. He had never thought much of it then. "Oh," he said because there was nothing else he could quite think of to say.

"Well, I suggest we postpone this conversation." Akashi said and finally knocked on the wooden door that was inlet into the ground and opened into the hideout.

Taiga only nodded dumbly. There was a lot he had to work through. Like the fact that he had been lied to. That he could have walked out there anytime and no one had the _right_ to stop him. That he'd thought - at any point in his life - that anyone had the right to take away his freedom, because that was just how it was and he either adapt or die.

Taiga felt anger bubbling in his stomach just as the collar started vibrating. He clenched his fists, trying to calm down but that was impossible when he did not want to be calm. He wanted to rage and scream and more than that, he wanted to rip that chip out of his head that had dictated the last four years of his life.

"Will you be alright?" Akashi asked with something that could have been real concern. He had finished his conversations with the men inside and the hatch had been opened.

"Yes," Taiga pressed his eyes shut. Deep breaths. And not thinking about what he had just learned. Yeah, he could do that.

"Taiga." Akashi's voice was close, surprisingly so. Taiga's eyes shot open and he found himself face to face with Akashi. Akashi, who had very intense eyes even from a distance and who, despite that, still managed to distract him with the length of his eye lashes up close. "Calm down," he said softly and the soothing cadence of his voice should not have had been as effective as it was.

The vibrations slowed and then stopped entirely, but Taiga was only vaguely aware of that. He was too lost in all the fine details of Akashi's face he could make out from this close. He didn't want this anger to leave. He wanted to hold on to it, let it fester until it became so big it would consume him. But there was something in Akashi's eyes that made it impossible to hold on to the rage. Akashi _knew_. He knew and he understood. Taiga felt the anger slip through his fingers and he did nothing to stop it. Now was not the time. Not when there was still a chip in his head that controlled his life.

Someone cleared their throat. "Uh, are you coming in or what?" Taiga startled backwards, but Akashi was unfazed.

He peered a moment longer at Taiga, searchingly, before deeming it good enough and turning to the man that had spoken. The man - one of the Japanese scouts and loose acquaintance of Taiga's, his name was Tadashi - gave him a wary look before turning his attention to Akashi.

"Snipers can shoot through the fence, you know?" He said before retreating back inside.

Akashi exhaled and then signaled Taiga to follow him. He was still shaken - not the least by Akashi himself - but he shoved all the feelings and uncertainty to the back of his mind. They were on a battlefield and distractions could be easily deadly.

"I require use of your transmission radio." Akashi announced once they were inside and the hatch was safely closed. The post was pretty much a bunker. The ground was trampled earth and the walls were reinforced with a thick layer of cement and steel. Screens showed a view of the surrounding area - deserted and clustered with debris - and a complex mirror system allowed a view of the direct surroundings in case the camera feeds were compromised.

Tadashi exchanged a look with his American counterpart, a man Taiga had never spoken to and whose name tag read Sgt. Hammock. "It's over there. But why do you need it? There is a perfectly functional radio, as well as satellite phone at the camp."

"I am aware of that," was all Akashi said. The scouts exchanged another glance. But since Akashi was a Captain and outranked them both, there really wasn't any room for debate. "Yes, sir."

Akashi picked up the radio on its carry-on strap. "We will be back later today."

"What? You can't-" Hammock was silenced by Tadashi's elbow to the side. Akashi afforded them with a cool glance and Taiga picked up on the atmosphere for once and opened the hatch.

This time they didn't linger on the footpath, the comment about snipers still fresh in their minds. They made their way back to the car.

"What if they need to radio in for back up?" Taiga asked once they reached the car.

"That will be no problem. This radio's purpose is to listen in to enemy's radio transmissions. They have their own personal radios, like everyone else does."

"I don't have one."

"Well…" Akashi tilted his head.

"Yeah okay. I am not exactly a model soldier." He had meant it sarcastically, but it came out with far more bitterness than expected.

Akashi's lips quirked upwards slightly. "You may resent the fact, but the reason you are still here betrays your value. Which, I'm afraid, is the major reason you have been lied to."

"Yeah, well. Not for nothing, but I kind of don't care how much value I have to anyone right now. I shouldn't be here in the first place." He had had a life. A shitty one, that's for sure, but a life nonetheless. And no matter how much he told himself to let it go, to at least shelf it for later, he couldn't.

Akashi looked sad for a moment. "I am sorry for that."

Taiga exhaled. "Why do you even care?" He sighed and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Sorry, that wasn't supposed to sound so mean. I just can't wrap my head around it." He left it open what exactly he meant. He didn't quite know himself.

And somewhere, Imayoshi would be looking at the data output of his collar and see that he had been upset. And since he hadn't been in combat, he would be scheduled to meet with Harimoto and _talk_. Because apparently his mental stability was very important. At another time, in another life, he would have cried.

Now, he just felt numb.

Akashi tilted his head. "Let's just say, I have my reasons. Hush now, I need to make a call."

Taiga couldn't even muster the energy to be mad. He'd grown used to being last priority. It was just how it was. "Okay. Just… turn off the chip's stress meter. I promise I won't do anything. I just feel like going crazy when I can't, you know, be mad."

Akashi paused in setting up the radio. "I wasn't aware I could do that."

Taiga felt a remarkable lack of surprise. . "I guess they wouldn't tell you. I mean, why bother? It would kind of ruin their plans if I could actually do something to protect you." Taiga sighed for what felt like the millionth time. "Your biometric signature did get read into the chip, didn't it? That's how you control it. Otherwise I couldn't go into combat without getting knocked out."

Akashi nodded his head. "Sit down; I will take care of it in a moment."

Taiga slumped down on the hood of the car, not quite up to standing right now. "Thanks."

"Do not thank me for this. It is the least I can do."

"Okay." Taiga stared at a pile of dirt nearby. This was all a bit much. And it was still only morning.

Akashi flipped a switch and radio static filled the air. Akashi picked up the mouth piece and started speaking. Taiga did not understand a single word. It wasn't Japanese or English. But it sounded familiar. And then it hit Taiga that he was speaking Chinese.

Taiga was reeling. Why was Akashi speaking Chinese? That could only mean he was contacting the enemy. But why? Taiga rubbed his forehead. His collar was vibrating every now and then but he paid it no mind. Was Akashi conspiring with the enemy? But that didn't make any sense. But then again, that was just in par with the rest of the day.

Akashi ended his transmission, switched frequencies and repeated it. That went on for about five frequencies, before Akashi finally flipped the switch back to off.

"What was that?" Taiga couldn't help but ask.

"A necessary evil." Akashi said and put down the radio.

Taiga sighed. "Could you try and not be cryptic, please? This is all a bit much and I don't have the mind for any more puzzles."

Akashi sat down next to him on the hood. It didn't suit him, the casual air of it; except it _did_ suit him. He looked good like this, propped on the trunk of a battered jeep, hair tousled by the wind and dusted with the same layer of dirt that clung to all of them after a while of being outside. He looked like he owned the world.

"I sent a transmission to all known Indo-Chinese radio channels. I have asked for a parley, so to speak. I'm afraid this action will be considered treason should it ever come to light. You can claim you had no choice in the matter." Akashi huffed a breath that might have been a laugh. "Which happens to be the truth."

"I… okay, I guess. But I'm pretty sure that won't stop anyone from taking it out on me. I'm kind of an easy target." And that wasn't really the matter here, but Taiga felt it was important all the same.

"I suppose I should apologize then. I have just made you a war criminal."

"Heh, I'm not even an official soldier. Technically, this isn't even a crime for me. But seriously, why did you do that? You're not planning on betraying us, right?" The last part came out hesitantly, and Taiga had to come to the realization that he didn't mean so much us than he meant himself. And he didn't want to think about what that meant.

"No, not in the strictest sense. I told you I want to end this war. I figured the best way to do this is through enemy contact. The American government has long since attempted a ceasefire but the Indo-Chinese alliance as well as the Japanese government have been reluctant. As long as we can convince the Chinese, we can pressure Japan into conceding."

"And you think it'll be just that easy?"

"No. That's why I have offered myself as collateral."

"You... what?" Taiga was certain now. His curse was real. It had driven Akashi into madness and he was hell-bent on getting himself killed.

"If you want out, this is your last chance. I will deactivate the chip and you can go wherever you want. You should try and reach an American base. They are more likely to help you if you state your case. Which reminds me, how do I activate it?"

"Eh… you don't. You can shut off the stress meter, but I still have to stay in your vicinity or else the collar goes off. So I'll have to tag along either way. Oh, and I guess I should add the chip sends my data back to the camp. There's GPS and my vitals and some other stuff. There's no microphone though. I checked. " And he had been very thoroughly. The thought of being under constant watch had him freaked out badly.

"Oh." Akashi blinked. "That is unfortunate. I did not wish to drag you into this."

Taiga shrugged. "It's okay. To be honest, this is a much better cause than, well being forced to fight against my will." _And I can be with you_ , was on the tip of his tongue but Taiga swallowed the words. He couldn't even say where they had come from. "Still, I should have consulted you before. I did not think the collars were this bad." He wrinkled his nose. "My friends have always told me how sheltered I am. I did not believe them."

"Dude, you went out to radio the enemy, fully prepared to put your life on the line. That's anything but sheltered. Although, to be absolutely honest, I think this is suicide."

"Please. I have this perfectly planned. We won't get killed. Now, let me deactivate that stress meter. I feel repressed just by looking at you."

"Okay, I don't know exactly how it works, but you can access some functions if you put your finger against the reader." Taiga pointed to the small black field that read out biometric data.

Akashi scooted closer and that was really not good for Taiga's heart. He pressed his index finger against the spot. From his vantage point, Taiga could see the perfect lineup of Akashi's lashes fanning over slivers of red. He swallowed, throat jumping against the collar. Akashi's lashes fluttered and Taiga looked away, being acutely aware of their proximity.

Akashi hummed and pulled his hand away. "I think that should do it. Interesting system, albeit a bit convoluted."

"Uh, thanks." Taiga tried to calm the heat in his flushed cheeks and only gave a vague grunt in reply. There was something he had wanted to address once Akashi was done but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. All he could think of was how it had felt to feel the whisper of Akashi's breath against his skin.

No, he wasn't going to calm down anytime soon. And if this continued, he wasn't going to make it out in one piece.

"So," Taiga cleared his throat. He was staring very hard at a dried up piece of shrubbery. That way he couldn't be caught up in the beauty of Akashi's eyes. Again. "What are we going to do now?"

"Now, we wait."

* * *

The radio crackled to life about two hours after Akashi set off the transmission. They had moved the car into the sparse shadow of a group of trees further away from the road and camped in the equally sparse shadow of the car's open doors. The summer heat on the Chinese mainland was nothing short of brutal, especially since both were saddled with their gear as well. Akashi, for that matter, seemed barely affected by the heat, unlike Taiga who was sweating quite a lot.

They had sat mostly in silence, so the sudden crack of static that precluded an incoming transmission, startled Taiga badly enough to reach for his weapon. He had tried to be vigilant; enemies could theoretically attack at any time. Or, as Akashi had pointed out, someone from the camp could come looking for them.

The incoming message was in Chinese. Taiga didn't understand so he set to watching Akashi's face instead. He had meant to ask how he came to speak Chinese, but had never quite found the right moment. It hadn't seemed right to break the silence and when they were eating a quick breakfast he hadn't wanted to speak while eating. Akashi listened with intense focus, but his face gave nothing away. Taiga could not tell if the message was good or bad.

It was over after barely a minute. Akashi stood. "It's time," he said. Taiga scrambled to his feet.

"What did they say?"

"They are willing to listen to our terms. They suggested a rendezvous point. We are expected there in an hour sharp."

"What if it's a trap?" Who was he kidding; this was 99% a trap.

"Then, it is up to you to protect me." Akashi said lightly and shouldered the radio with the attached strap. He set off out of the tree's shade and towards the no-man's land between the two armies. There was no point in bringing the jeep along. The ground was uneven at best and completely destroyed at worst. Taiga took the time to shut the doors anyway.

"Uh-huh." Taiga was good, fuck, he was amazing, but he doubted he could stand up to an entire Chinese Elite Squad, which was what they would send if they had any sense at all."And here I thought you could take care of yourself."

Akashi gave him a wry smile. "What good would a bodyguard be, if he couldn't even protect his charge? But this is a rather different matter to be honest. I thought about it while we waited. I originally intended to be intimidating by myself, which is sufficient for most matters."

Taiga's eyebrows shot up by their own volition, but Akashi forestalled any comment with a sidelong glance.

"You have not seen me at my best - or worst, depending on who you ask. But that is not the issue. We will be meeting with the Chinese delegation and you will be responsible for the intimidation. Just furrow your impressive eyebrows a bit, that should do the trick. I would not expect you to understand the fine nuances of intimidation, but factoring in your size and built, I estimate it will leave quite the impression."

"I can be intimidating." Taiga groused. "I know how it works, even without the eyebrows. Besides, there is nothing wrong with my eyebrows."

"I didn't say there was. But your eyebrows notwithstanding, we want to intimidate, not threaten. That is a very fine line."

"Okay, so I just need to stand there and glare at everyone. But, if you don't mind me asking, what's the point? I mean, how does it work? Just because I glare a bit won't make them fold."

Akashi gave him a look that was rather appreciative. "I like your inquisitive nature."

"Uh… thanks? I'm just curious, is all."

"It is a rather valuable trait. A curious nature is the foundation of a well-educated mind." Akashi regarded him with something akin to fondness for a moment. "It is a rather simple matter. Imagine you are entering negotiations with another party and you have the upper hand in all things. You expect the other party to be timid, submissive - implicitly and obviously aware of their disadvantage. What you don't expect is someone confident and self-assured. That in itself will undermine your base of confidence. You will start second-guessing. Even if you are convinced they are merely bluffing, there just might be a chance they do have something up their sleeve. And in that case you can't afford to underestimate them. Which in turn, forces you to face them as equals."

"So, we are going to literally be bluffing?"

Akashi's lips quirked up faintly. "A bluff has no substance. I do very much possess a strong negotiating position, although our opponent is not yet aware of that. But this is more a show of strength if you will. Strength being you in this case. And since I am the one wielding that strength, it will fortify my position."

"You put an awful lot of thought into this." Taiga said.

"I have to." Akashi said simply.

"It's brilliant though. I don't understand it completely, but I think it's a pretty good angle. I mean, ignoring the fact that we're essentially walking right into a death trap."

Since the battlefronts hadn't moved in months, the ground in between was riddled with debris, dud explosives, more dud explosives, discarded equipment and a lot of other unpleasant stuff. There were even some land mines, but they essentially stopped using them when metal detectors became a staple of soldier equipment. None of that helped Taiga feel any better about walking out in the open without a cover like this.

"What did you even tell them? I thought we were going to be riddled by bullets by now." Taiga blamed it on the fact that he needed to stay close to Akashi that he followed him at all. But he couldn't quite silence the voice in his head that said he'd have followed him no matter what.

And that was one fucked up conclusion he had to draw about himself.

"I gave a description of what we looked like. Of course, that does only invite a trap. But as I said, I have prepared for this very carefully and I would not risk exposure if I didn't think they would take our bait."

"Well, I guess the war has been going on for a long time. I know a lot of guys who would go a long way for some peace. But why would they believe you could do it? It's not that we come with a whole lot of backing. No offense."

"None taken. And that is quite simply because of who I am. I hate to use my father's influence like this, but if it gave me some leverage in this situation." Akashi's lips quirked into a rather dry smile. "Of course, that is all my father's name is good for."

"Wait, so let me get this straight. Your father sells weapons to both sides - because that's apparently all the rage these days - and that's why your name has some pull over here. But because he's double-selling someone in top brass is after your life? At the same time, you've been planning to broker peace on your own. And this is all a coincidence?"

Akashi gave him a short look that Taiga could not interpret. "Not exactly. It is all connected."

"So someone's after you, because you want peace?" Taiga frowned. "Or because you plan on betraying them?" He shook his head. "They think you are going to betray them, is that it? Because they don't know that you've got a plan."

This time he could read the appreciation in the glance Akashi threw his way. " I am pleased with your trust in me. Although I should probably suggest to not trust this easily. I could be out to betray you, after all."

Taiga frowned. He thought about it for a moment. But all he had was gut instinct, and that was usually never wrong. And right now it told him that Akashi was very much telling the truth Of course, considering very recent developments in his heart, he wasn't too sure if he could trust his gut instinct. "I can't really base this of anything, but I do trust you. If anything, you don't want to kill me so that counts for something."

"I am glad you think that way." Akashi wasn't looking at him but straight ahead, yet it was obvious how genuine the words were.

Silence lapsed between them. Taiga trudged after Akashi who occasionally checked his watch for coordinates. It was a rather fancy watch, a few grades above the military-issued version - a bulky and ugly thing, as opposed to the slender and sleek design of Akashi's.

They continued their track through no-man's land in silence. Taiga tried not to think about the consequences of their actions. Even if they made it out alive - highly unlikely to begin with - they couldn't just walk back in camp as if nothing had happened. They were two figures, very visibly walking through a war zone they were most definitely not supposed to trespass into; there was no chance they hadn't been picked up by cameras, satellites or the scout's eyes.

They were very much traitors now.

Taiga slung the rifle higher on his shoulder, ignoring the brutal onslaught of heat. He had to make sure then, that they made a good bargain and put an end to this god damn war.

When he had started to believe in Akashi, he could not say.


	3. Chapter 3

The rendezvous point was the ruin of an old farm.. They were a few minutes early, so they retreated into the shade of the largest building - little more than a ruined and almost toppled over stone wall. Taiga could see the burned out hull of a warhead that was likely responsible for the destruction lying nearby. Lovely.

Akashi seemed relaxed, but Taiga's own nerves were building up. He tried to take a few calming breaths, but it did little to help. They were dangerously close to the Chinese side of the battlefront. Taiga's hairs stood on end constantly and his instincts were warning him that they were under rather intense scrutiny. Which was to be expected but that didn't mean he could just ignore it.

Taiga checked his watch. One more minute until the allotted hour was up. They were still alive so he counted that as a good sign. A dust cloud in the distance towards the Chinese side caught his attention moments later.

"I think that's them." He told Akashi who followed his line of sight with his eyes.

"Indeed." He said slowly. Something had changed in his demeanor. There was the cold and calculating manner he had displayed the day before. If that was the persona he had to adopt to get through this, Taiga was fine with it.

Taiga adjusted the strap of the sniper rifle on his shoulder and took position behind Akashi who had stepped forward. The dust cloud turned out to be a group of jeeps approaching.. They came to a stop a few meters away from the ruins. Akashi stepped out into the glaring sunlight to receive them.

Now Taiga understood what he had meant earlier. Akashi seemed totally relaxed, unlike the group of Chinese and Indian soldiers that were approaching them. Taiga kept his own posture tense, but not threatening. At least he hoped that it was what he was doing. He kept his hands on his assault rifle, a casual reminder that he had it and knew how to use it.

"Akashi Seijuurou?" One of the Chinese soldiers said. Taiga had rudimentary knowledge about the enemy's ranks, and as far as he could tell he was a Major. He was older by a good portion than the rest, a seasoned veteran whose eyes were the kind of sharp that didn't miss a thing. A long scar ran up the left side of his face, stopping just shy below the eye.

The rest were lower ranks, including the only present Indian soldier, a small woman with cold eyes. Just like Japan's alliance with America, the Indo-Chinese alliance was rather young - formed in response to the combined threat of their respective enemies.

"Yes," Akashi said, picking English instead of Chinese. Taiga was grateful for the inclusion.

"Who's that?" The man asked, and pointed his chin towards Taiga. Taiga, clueless as to what was expected of him, followed Akashi's advice and furrowed his brows. The good thing was that he had quite the advantage in size. He had kind of forgotten the fact that he was unusually tall for a Japanese man - an easy enough thing when the camp's average height had been increased by the arrival of several Americans - and therefore also quite taller than the average Chinese person and one Indian woman apparently.

He was pleased to see that three of the soldiers gripped their weapons tighter in response. Taiga forced himself to remain relaxed. He was supposed to be intimidating not an open threat.

"My bodyguard." Akashi said simply. His voice was calm and unconcerned. He was the only one relaxed in the whole group. And Taiga could easily see how that unsettled the others. There were glances exchanged and some even looked around furtively in search of a trap.

The Major considered Taiga for a moment, before nodding. "My name is Chao Chang; I am the leader of the third Lotus division." His lips twisted into what could be classified as a smile. "I expect you have heard of us."

Taiga almost broke character to reply, but stopped himself at the last moment. The Lotus divisions of the Chinese army were legendary, especially the third one, even among the Japanese army. They were the main reason why advancement had been halted at the Western front. Taiga had butted heads with them quite a few times. They were responsible for at least three of his handlers' deaths. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or grateful.

"I have." Akashi said easily. "You have caused my side quite a lot of frustration. It is an honor to make you acquaintance, lotus eagle."

Chang regarded him for a moment, before breaking out into a full belly laugh. "It's been ten years since someone called me that. Nice bit of intelligence there, but I'm afraid you're too green to impress me with that."

Akashi tilted his head. "I do not seek to impress, merely share my admiration for the most prolific fighter pilot the Asian airspace has ever seen."

Chang sobered. "I would accuse you of flattery but something tells me you are dead serious."

"I would have to be, would I not?" Akashi said in the same light tone he had used before.

"Indeed. Now, shall we talk business? I would ask you to hand over your weapons, as you have so generously offered to act as collateral, but your pet has quite the reputation as well. I'm afraid he'd rip our throats out before we could even try."

"Taiga only bites at my command."

"Tiger, huh? And here I thought it was just a fitting nickname for our biggest nightmare. Turns out it's his actual name."

Akashi didn't correct him. Taiga could feel color burn in his cheek. He didn't know he had a _reputation_. A reputation that apparently warranted a nickname.

"Shall we then?" Akashi asked, seemingly amused.

The Indian soldier barked something in Chinese but Chang waved her off. "I expect you won't backstab us?" He asked Akashi. The Indian soldier scowled. The Chinese soldiers - all members of Chang's unit, judging by the insignias on their sleeves, exchanged glances but didn't seem too concerned. And why would they? Regardless of what Chang had said about him, these guys had a legendary reputation - Taiga wouldn't stand a chance, weapons or not.

"I am considered a traitor, pretty much. At least where the Commander is concerned. Bringing your head would not change that." Akashi said with an air of casualness. All four of the Chinese soldiers tightened the grips on their weapons, almost on reflex but Taiga decided to pay homage to what was now apparently his nickname and growled. Chang shot him an amused glance while the soldiers eyed him warily. They did relax their grips on the weapons though.

"I want this war to end." Akashi said, ignoring the ongoing pissing contest. "It would not be lying to say there is little I wouldn't do."

"Personal reasons, huh?" Chang asked after a moment's consideration.

Something in Akashi's stance, his expression, hardened. It was a small change, barely noticeable, but Taiga was very much attuned to Akashi. It certainly set his teeth on edge.

But Akashi did not break composure. He merely inclined his head, indicating he would now very much like to proceed. Chang gestured for them to follow him.

* * *

Taiga had never considered himself especially smart. He had struggled throughout most of his school life, he regularly dropped his sentence endings, his kanjis were a downright mess, radicals were an abstract concept and he'd slept through too many history lessons to make sense of the complicated international relations and treaty network that had ultimately led to this war.

But even so, Taiga was fairly sure that right now he was witnessing history in the making.

Chang had led them to the cars and then they drove towards the Indo-Chinese main encampment a few kilometers behind the front line. There, they had been received by a highly armed party made up of members of the Lotus division, the eponymous flower stitched into the sleeves of their uniforms. Some of them had glared at Taiga and he had done his best to seem unperturbed. It was an odd thought to think that he might have killed or wounded friends and colleagues of these people.

They had greeted Chang with utmost respect and Akashi and Taiga with due mistrust, but that was expected. Chang had then introduced them to the camp's Commander, a bald, aging man named Hsu. There had been some tension and posturing and in the end Taiga had relinquished the sniper rifle and Akashi had handed over his MG, then Chang had laughed and said he couldn't stand to declaw a fine tiger specimen and that was that.

But that had only been the beginning.

"I have no reason to believe anything you say is true," was the first thing Hsu said after sitting down at the head of the small conference table in his tent. Akashi took his place opposite Hsu and his officers, a lone figure only supported by Taiga. But even so, he seemed to lord over the table as the sole and undisputed leader.

Maybe it was the time he had spent watching him, but Taiga thought he could see the faintest traces of stress in Akashi's posture. He was tenser than usual. But that was hardly surprising.

"I am here." Akashi said simply. "I do not value my life as little as that to give it away for anything less than peace."

"It could be a trap. Your people are rather fond of suicide, are they not?"

"General Hsu, let me speak frankly." Akashi shifted, his voice losing some of its calm and gaining an urgent note to it. "I have come far and at great risk, a fact that you are very much aware of. I wish not to waste time dancing around the matter of trust. As a matter of fact, we both can't trust each other's words. Fair enough. There is enough animosity and bitterness on both sides. But as I said, I am here. I wish this war to end and I have reason to believe you think the same. And while I do value my life, I would not hesitate to put it on the line for this matter."

Hsu evaluated him for a moment. "Let's say I give you the benefit of a doubt. How do you propose to put an end to this war?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"I do, courtesy of Major Chang." Hsu said warily.

"I do not mean to brag, General. It merely saves us time if I don't have to elaborate on the matter."

"No offense, Captain. Or well, all of the offense, I do not necessarily care. I have allowed this meeting because Chang vouched for you, for why he would do that, I can't begin to imagine. But if all you have to offer is your family name, I'm afraid that won't be enough. I won't deny that your father has some serious pull, even on my side, but that alone is not enough. Everyone in here, and I am sure that includes you as well, has lost someone important in this war. We want to see it end, but it won't be a cheap bargain."

Taiga got the feeling that there was some meaning swirling under the surface. Hsu seemed to be saying more than what appeared to be in his words, but Taiga was even more drawn to the slight tension of Akashi's shoulders when Hsu spoke about loss. Taiga had lost his own fair share of family, so he knew that look on someone's face, even if it was fleeting and barely there. Absently, he wondered just how well he had gotten at reading Akashi in such a short period of time.

Akashi exhaled. "There is a little known fact about my family, or rather what you would call the branch that is my family." He slowly raised his hand and pushed it in his jacket. A few of the officers on Hsu's side fidgeted, but Akashi was careful not to make any quick movements. He pulled something out, something small and golden and placed it on the table.

There was a moment of shocked silence, before someone audibly exhaled in soft awe. Someone else gasped at its sight. It seemed to be a seal of sorts, some sort of flower with a lot of petals. It looked familiar. He had seen it many times in his vaguely familiar. He had seen it before, but he couldn't quite recall where.

One of the officers said something in rapid Chinese and pointed at the seal.

"I assure you, it is no counterfeit." Akashi said in English.

"I will have to make sure of that myself." Hsu said slowly. Akashi tilted his head in acquiescence. Hsu reached out and carefully picked up the seal. He held it in his hands almost reverently. Another one of the officers whispered something. Hsu swallowed. "It seems legit."

The officers broke out into rounds of shocked murmurs until Hsu silenced them. "The Imperial family has lost most of its influence." Hsu said slowly.

Taiga's mind was slow to catch on. Did he hear that right? Could that even be?

"It has been reduced to a mere figurehead. Good to bolster morale, but little else." Hsu continued.

"That may be. But the war has changed the public's opinion about a lot of things." Akashi said carefully. "The Imperial family has been speaking out against the war for a long time. Much of this has been censored by minister Ebizawa, but he is using influence rapidly. The war has been going on for almost a decade now. Japan has suffered. Rumors have started that Russia is planning on breaking the Nuclear weapon's agreement. Rumors with little to no foundation, but _we still remember_." Akashi let the words sink in for a moment. Most of the officers were looking away, but Hsu and Chang acknowledged the words as was their due.

"No one wants a repetition of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But our dear minister of defense is convinced that victory lies in the palm of his hand. He is blind to the woes of the people and equally as ignorant to the shift in the societal-economical power equilibrium. The military faction within our political system is constantly losing influence and men like my father, who held all the power, are on their way downwards as well. At the same time, the Imperial family is gaining a lot of support from the public and pacifistic economists as well. The trend is towards peace. Or it would be more accurate to say, the _demand_ is for peace."

Hsu raised a hand to stop the flow of Akashi's words. "This changes indeed quite a bit. But you'll have to excuse me if I still reserve suspicion. How exactly is your relation to the Imperial family? Do they know you are here? And lastly, this all implies that you are willing to essentially dethrone your father. Which brings me to my final question, how does he fit into the equation?"

"Don't forget to ask what the actual plan is." Chang commented from the side.

Hsu rolled his eyes. "Shut up Chang. I'm not old enough yet for you to take over my job."

Chang laughed and just like that the atmosphere relaxed. It was still tense, but it had no longer the feeling of animosity to it. It almost felt like they were work colleagues, meeting up to discuss next quarter's business plan or whatever was discussed at business meetings.

Taiga forced himself to focus. He had a very personal interest in Akashi's answers. Because what the hell? It didn't help that he felt totally blindsided by this, although, to be fair, he and Akashi had only known each other for about a day.

"Alright." Chang threw up his arms. "But might I suggest we get some refreshments? Now that we decided on being friends? Really, all that talking makes me thirsty."

Hsu sighed. "This is a war council still, _Major_." He reprimanded. "With the _enemy_. Although, I guess that is really no longer the case." He shook his head. "I have no personal quarrels with you or your family and while I recognize that your bodyguard has gathered quite the reputation among my men - and has killed quite a lot of them as well - it is one of respect. I will give you that. But bringing him here does offer some problems. Chang, get those refreshments will you."

Chang saluted with a grin and then volunteered one of the lower ranking Lieutenants to do it. The man gave him a glare but obeyed.

"I will answer your questions." Akashi said carefully. "And I will give you a truth about Kagami Taiga, but only if he consents to it. But I reassure you, that none of Taiga's actions should be laid at his feet."

There was an odd feeling settling in Taiga's chest. He felt… touched. But that wasn't quite the right word. It was more than that but he couldn't name it. This wasn't supposed to be about _him_. Akashi wasn't supposed to make excuses for him, wasn't supposed to even _care_. Hell, Taiga wasn't supposed to care about the lives he had taken and he didn't - because they were _enemies_ and he had had no _choice_ , but that was not true and he had always known it. War had just gotten so impersonal. The reach of his gun was far enough so he couldn't see their faces. And he hadn't made an attempt to _look_.

Akashi laying it bare like that did more than just rattle his composure.

Hsu tilted his head. "I think I know what you are referring to." He looked at Taiga, really looked and Taiga fought the urge to reach up and adjust his collar to hide what was underneath. "It is quite the deplorable practice. But I suppose my side has committed its own fair share of sins. Alright. I will not pry further, but I want it noted that this practice has to end, or there will be no peace. Slavery is a crime and a fancy name does not change that."

"Noted." Akashi said.

Taiga tried to calm his emotions. Now was not the time to get excited even without annoying vibrating collars to give it away.

Just then the Lieutenant arrived with an armful of bottled water. The room fell silent while he distributed the bottles. He hesitated a moment, before offering one to Taiga who took it gratefully. He nodded in thanks, unsure if he should talk or not. He'd gone with the stoic silent type for so long, he figured he could do it sometime longer. Besides, he didn't exactly trust his voice right now. He was still kind of shaken and that was really not the proper moment.

The water was nice and cool, not like the piss warm ration he had stuffed in his pack.

"Well?" Hsu prompted after everyone had quenched their thirst.

Akashi leaned back in his chair, no longer just pretending to be relaxed. "I will answer your questions in order. My mother was an Imperial princess, first cousin to the Emperor and it is through her that I am related to the Imperial family. I am eighth in line for the throne. My family does and doesn't know that I am here. That depends on which part you are referring to. My father is unawares obviously, but the _other_ side of my family is very much aware. They objected to this plan, based on it s dangers to my person, but are very receptive to its outcome. Rest assured, should it come to fruition, the Emperor will have no objections. Lastly, and in this I ask you to take my word for it, my father has nothing to do with this."

Hsu hummed, taking a moment to take sip from his water bottle. "I will accept that. For now. In either case, your presence here can be used as leverage."

"Am I a hostage?" Akashi asked.

"No. I do not wish to let it come to that. But as I understand, your actions were not sanctioned by your immediate military superior. Or the Japanese military at large. In the same vein, this is not a matter resolved by a mere handshake. Just because I am willing to listen does not mean that the Chinese government is. Nor the Indian. And I expect on your side, there is some contention with the Americans as well."

"If that is your way of asking us to stay here for the time being, I am very much willing to oblige."

Hsu rubbed his bald head with a sigh. "It's not as simple as that. This is a huge camp and you are an enemy soldier. I can't just let you roam free. I'm not saying I think you'd stir up trouble, but rather that trouble will come stirring up you. It's something I'd rather avoid."

"Fair enough." Akashi allowed. "What do you suggest then?"

"How about they stay with me and my boys?" Chang cut in. "No one messes with us and I can confidently say, none of my boys would raise a fuss about it."

"If that is acceptable?" Hsu turned to Akashi who nodded. "Good. I can't promise anything in the terms of success. I will contact the people I am confident will share our opinion, but there is only so much I can do."

Akashi inclined his head. "That is quite enough, thank you."

"We will recommence negotiations once I have further instructions. I have to forbid you from contacting anyone outside this camp for now. And one last warning. I had to report your presence to HQ. They have given me full discretion for now, but if word gets out who you are or even that you are a valuable hostage, efforts will be made to apprehend you. If that happens, there is little I can do. Not everyone is as favorable towards peace than I am."

"I appreciate your warning. Likewise, I should inform you that my side might undertake actions to retrieve us. You should prepare for increased combat encounters the next days, maybe even a raid party. We can fend for ourselves, but your men should be alert all the same."

Hsu stood up from his seat. He reached out his hand for Akashi to take. Akashi regarded it for a moment, before standing up himself. "Pleasure doing business with you." Hsu said.

"Likewise." Akashi replied.

And just like that, they had taken the first step towards peace.

* * *

Chang had very much insisted they were guests and not prisoners. But Taiga couldn't quite feel the hospitality. The Lotus division had their own corner in the camp, visibly distinguishable by the ever present lotus blossom stitched on every tent. They were an autonomous body within the larger encampment, but very much connected in their periphery. Akashi and Taiga were asked to stay within those perimeters to maintain their safety.

Taiga didn't contest that fact, as it was very clear that a large part of the soldier population were at least suspicious of them, if not openly hostile. That didn't mean he liked it though.

The sad truth however was that Taiga was scarily used to this form of confinement. The collar didn't allow for that much of a distance from his handler. It had barely spanned the entire area of the Japanese Camp and since his handlers usually were inconsiderate pricks, it wasn't common that they would tell Taiga if they moved around. So he could find himself in the rec area at the back of the camp and all of a sudden his collar would start beeping to alert him he better get his ass moving or else he would be knocked out. Thus, a game of hot and cold would start. One time his handler had even left the camp by car, _without telling him_ and Taiga had been knocked out cold. Thankfully, his collar hadn't been set to lethal charge. It had been ruled an unfortunate accident and Taiga had never heard an apology. Well, the man responsible was dead now anyway so that was that.

"That nickname of yours is quite fitting." Akashi commented idly.

"Huh?" Taiga stopped in his pacing to look at him. They had been assigned a small tent, smallest size for four people so plenty of space for two. It had four cots in it, lockboxes for each occupant and a few chairs. Akashi had sat down on one of the cots and seemingly dozed off, or maybe gone into meditation or whatever, but Taiga couldn't calm down. It was barely past noon and they had just eaten, but he already felt restless. He'd been braced for a fight the whole morning and he didn't quite know where to put that energy.

"You are like a tiger in confinement." Akashi said and Taiga realized that his pacing must have been rather distracting.

"Sorry," he said and definitely did not flush with embarrassment. He slumped down on the cot across from Akashi's. He had dropped his weapons on one of the chairs, along with his west and jacket. He'd have shucked his shirt too, but he felt self conscious about the scars on his back and also because he would have felt weird to strip in front of Akashi. Again.

God, he had so many issues, he didn't even know where to start.

"I was not complaining." Akashi said mildly.

Taiga grimaced. "Still, I shouldn't bother you so much. It's just… I feel trapped and I hate it."

"I am not bothered by you. If I were I would have said something already."

Taiga was kind of hung up on the fact that Akashi had said you, as in specifically him, which was all kinds of nice but ugh, what was he even thinking.

"Also, I think I should apologize. Uh, and also, am I supposed to bow now? Or call you Lord or something? Sorry, I am not good at this."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't change your behavior. I do quite enjoy your frank personality."

Taiga kind of felt his jaw sag, like it was going to hit the ground but not really. "Seriously?"He asked dumbly.

Akashi smiled and it was a genuine smile, one that crinkled up his eyes in a really nice way. Taiga's stomach did some weird somersaults. "Yes. As you can infer, the people I am usually surrounded with cater to my every whim and would not ever dare to question me. Or speak frankly for that matter. It is a matter of my father's wealth, rather than blood, but the sentiment remains. Coming to the military has been quite the experience, but as soon as I made rank I was back to the same situation, only with even more rigid rules."

"Okay. Then I'll just keep doing my thing." Whatever his thing was. "So eighth in line of the throne, huh? To be honest, you do seem kind of the royal type. You know all regal and stuff." He gestured with his hand to accompany the statement, but it turned out more awkward than anything.

"I would hope so. Otherwise, all my training would have been in vain."

Taiga rubbed a hand on his neck, fingers catching with the metal of his collar and he dropped it back to his lap. He had worn the collar for so long it had somewhat become a part of him. He didn't even remember it was there half the time. Except when it went off for whatever reason.

"So do the folks after you know you're a prince? Wouldn't that cause a major scandal or something if a member of the Imperial family was killed in action?"

"On the contrary, it would be most desirable if I was killed in action. It would cause a stain on Imayoshi's reputation as my commanding officer, but that is a small sacrifice. No one can argue with my being killed in action. It is a hazard of warfare and no one would take a second look. Additionally, my identity as an Imperial prince has been kept under tight wraps. You might find I am missing from most depictions of the Imperial family tree."

Taiga could count on one hand how many family trees of the Imperial family he had seen, which were exactly none. "How does that work? I mean your father is pretty famous himself and that puts you into the spotlight as well? And aren't there, like duties you're supposed to fulfill as a prince?"

" My father is a prominent figure but his ties are held under wraps. Well, it is more that he doesn't exactly have any ties. My mother was the princess and he was just one of many suitable candidates, except he eventually made the cut. But his dealing with weapons and pretty much fattening himself up on the war does not go over well with the philosophy of the Imperial family. He likes to pretend otherwise, but he's been barred from using the Imperial family name in relation to himself. He is tolerated at best, but his status entirely comes from my mother. He is not supposed to publicize his affiliation and as a result my own relations have remained vastly a secret. It has certainly served to protect me in my younger years."

"That does sound rough." Taiga said. "So you're kind of in the middle then?"

"In a manner of speaking. I was raised by my father, but I am also expected to uphold my duties as a prince. My father is very strict that I do my best in everything. He hopes to regain some of his status if he can proof what a good job he did through me." There was the faintest trace of bitterness in Akashi's words, or maybe Taiga just though it was there.

"What about your mother?" The question was out before he could check himself and then it was too late to take it back. And that was just typical. He, of all people should know to tread carefully around the mother issue and not just barge his way in with a sledgehammer. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that." He hastily added. They knew each other for little more than a day. He shouldn't presume he could ask personal questions.

"It is alright." It didn't sound alright but Taiga couldn't say that. Akashi didn't seem much different from before, but he also didn't quite look at Taiga. "My mother died when I was young. I barely remember her."

Taiga was sure Akashi didn't mean the last sentence to elicit sympathy; it was just a statement to him. But Taiga felt a clench in his heart all the same. "I'm sorry," he offered.

"You don't have to apologize. It had nothing to do with you." Akashi said, vaguely surprised.

"Yeah, but I'm still sorry. It's not about blame or anything. It's an expression of sympathy, you know?" And Taiga couldn't help but think how sad it was, that this was an unfamiliar concept to Akashi. "I know it doesn't change anything. But I'm still sorry for your loss."

It wasn't enough, how could it, when one's mother was gone so early? But Taiga also knew that there was nothing that would make it better, but at least knowing that someone else out there understood, could make a difference. Taiga had spent enough time wishing for someone like that to know.

Akashi just looked at him, as though he was trying to make sense of Taiga's words. Like he had genuinely no idea.

"I know it's hard." Taiga said. "I… My mother walked out when I was in elementary school. It's not the same, I know. At least she's alive somewhere. I guess that makes it better. But I still. Miss her. Like, it's been years and I still wonder how life would have gone if she hadn't left." Maybe his father wouldn't have gone to America for work to flee the place that reminded him of his wife, maybe he wouldn't have been killed in the freak attack that wiped out almost the entire population of the West Coast. Maybe. But Taiga didn't like to think about his father.

Akashi seemed puzzled. "I understand what you are saying. But it has been years. I can't possibly claim to be still grieving."

Taiga blinked. He knew he had heard right, Akashi spoke very clearly, but he couldn't quite make sense of the words. "Akashi," Taiga said slowly, "you know that you can still miss your Mom, right? Like even grieve her I guess. She was your mother. That's got to mean something."

Akashi looked like he was turning it over in his head. "I barely remember her face," was what he settled on.

Taiga felt the irrational urge to wrap Akashi in an embrace. "Don't you have any pictures?"

"Not personally. My father has one in his study and a portrait hangs in the palace. I asked for one when I was younger, as a memento. I have been told that sentimentality does not befit a prince. My father has always been very concerned with my image, public or not."

"Bullshit." Taiga said. "It's got nothing to do with being a prince. You should be able to miss her like anyone else without their mother. And it's fucking bullshit as well that you don't get to have a picture."

Akashi's smile was brittle but genuine. "It doesn't have anything to do with you. You shouldn't get this worked up over the matter."

"Well," Taiga had to look away. _Now_ was not the time. Although he doubted there ever would be a time. They were comrades in arms and he was already crossing too many personal lines. But he'd had a feeling he had fallen down the rabbit hole already. There was no getting out. "I just think kids should be able to properly mourn and stuff. I mean, it sucks to lose a parent, but it sucks even more if you're told you can't even miss them."

"I am not a child anymore." Akashi pointed out.

Taiga huffed. "Yeah, me neither. But I still sometimes lie awake and miss her." _And Dad too_. "It's just a thing that happens. I mean she walked out and I know I shouldn't miss her, because she didn't even want to be there. But I still do. And that's okay." Maybe he shouldn't bare his soul to Akashi like this. But he just couldn't let this stand as it was.

Akashi was quiet for a while. Taiga let him be, recognizing the need to think about things.

"It is hard to miss her, when I remember so little. But I suppose wondering about what could have been if she were still alive constitutes as missing her. She was the one to introduce me to basketball."

"That's a start. And it's not that you _have_ to mourn her or anything. But it's okay to miss her." Akashi nodded and Taiga felt a bit lighter. It was something to think over.

But there was a part of Akashi's statement that had caught his interest. "So you play basketball?" He hoped he didn't sound too eager, because fuck him, if he hadn't missed playing or at least talking with someone who actually played and not just followed the NBA. Which was a good start but not the same.

"Yes, I do. Or rather I did. There is not much opportunity in a warzone."

"You tell me." Taiga said with a grimace. They had a football in the camp, because football didn't care much about terrain and any old marks on the ground could serve as a goal. No such luck with basketball.

Akashi sighed. He sounded woeful? "I was in a team up until high school. Three consecutive wins in the Nationals in both middle and high school."

Taiga's eyebrows rose to hit his hairline. "Seriously? To what kind of monster school did you go to?"

"I went to Teikou middle school and later to Rakuzan."

"I've never heard of Teikou. But Rakuzan kicked my team out in the first round in my first year of high school. I think that's when they got their third consecutive win. I didn't play much after my first year." He shrugged. The memories were quite bitter still. "There were other priorities. But I don't remember ever seeing you play. Or seeing you at all." Taiga thought another redhead with red eyes would have surely drawn his attention. Maybe Akashi was just bad and a bench warmer?

"I usually didn't play in any games except the finals."

Or not. "Huh, so you are that good?"

"I am." Akashi said without a hint of modesty.

It startled a laugh from Taiga. "Well, if you say so. I think of myself as pretty good too. Although we were almost always knocked down by some inhumanly strong team before we could make it to the finals. Well, I'm used to that from playing in America. What position do you play? I'm Power Forward."

"So you lived in America?" Akashi asked with a curious tilt to his head. "That would explain a lot. And I play Point Guard." He took a moment to assess him and Taiga totally didn't think Akashi was checking him out.

"What does that mean?" Taiga muttered.

"That your manners are unusually rough for a Japanese man. I thought it was because of your military background and prolonged contact with American soldiers."

"I lived in America for a few years. We moved there after Mom left. I think Dad wanted to get away from the memories so when a business opportunity popped up, he took it. I moved back to Japan in my last year of middle school. Dad was supposed to join me but something came up so he stayed." _And died_.

"Where is he now?" Akashi asked. "Did your father never try to find you?"

Taiga swallowed. "He died in the great bombing of California." No, that was definitely not the sting of tears in his eyes. He had had years to come to terms with his mother's absence. It had been somewhat of a fixture, something inevitable. But his father had been a rock - even when an ocean away - for Taiga to lean on. He couldn't quite replace Taiga's Mom but he had tried his hardest to be both for Taiga. To lose him meant losing the last relative - and subsequently adult who gave a damn about him - in his life. And that had been scary in a world freshly torn by war. Many nights he had lain awake and wished his father would come and take him away, to make it stop.

"Oh." Akashi said. "That is." He paused for a moment. "Now I understand the sentiment of saying I'm sorry. I am sorry, although I am aware that this won't change anything. But for what it is worth, I am sorry for your loss, Kagami Taiga."

"It's okay." It really wasn't though. His Dad's death had kicked off a landslide of shitty decisions and it had all ended in the wreck that was his life now. And he had no one to blame but himself.

Akashi's look was knowing, and of course he wouldn't buy it after Taiga made such a huge point of it earlier.

"Your mother was a fool." Akashi said softly.

Taiga was caught off guard and could only stare for a moment. "Well," he said and his voice did absolutely not come out hoarse. But there wasn't really anything he could say to that. His mother could be a great many things he would never ever know of.

"She walked out on the best thing to happen to her." And the way Akashi said it, so casual and like it was the absolute, undisputable truth took the floor right from under Taiga. He was glad he was already sitting.

Taiga wiped at his eyes furtively, angry at himself for getting emotional over something that happened years ago and failing all the same, because he just lectured Akashi on the matter and he really should have known that he had been talking about himself more than anything.

There was a warm hand on his back, rubbing circles and when had Akashi even moved?

"Sorry." Taiga mumbled. "It's just no one ever said it like that. I mean, no one blamed me and Dad even told me it wasn't my fault. But." _No one ever had acknowledged that she had left him too._ "I shouldn't cry on you of all people." He added.

Akashi huffed and it might have been a laugh or a sigh or maybe just a too loud breath. "No one has ever told me it is okay to miss my mother," was all he said.

Taiga supposed that was a fair exchange then.

* * *

They didn't exactly do much the rest of the day. Hsu had said it would likely take a day or two until they would hear back from HQ at the earliest. It wasn't a small decision to make, even though the first step was merely to open a channel of communication for Akashi. The real negotiating wouldn't start until then. And that was if the Chinese government was willing to listen, which wasn't guaranteed. Hsu was cautiously optimistic and that was probably as good as a sign as they would get.

That first afternoon, he and Akashi had stayed in their tent, huddled together on Taiga's cot in something what was definitely _not_ cuddling. They had talked for a while, about basketball mainly, then Akashi had gone off on a tangent about shogi and how well it would serve some of the Generals to actually _bother_ with tactical thinking for once and Taiga had found he liked listening to Akashi's voice no matter what he was saying.

If he were honest - and he totally wasn't - they had definitely a thing going on. What that thing was, Taiga had no idea and was also definitely not thinking about. Like ever. But he couldn't deny how nice it had felt when Akashi had threaded his hands through Taiga's hair or how right it had felt to wrap his arms around Akashi and breathe in his scent.

It didn't mean anything. They were just two people who were a bit lonely and sad about their mothers and _it absolutely didn't mean he had feelings for Akashi_. The good thing was that it really didn't have to mean anything, because they were in difficult circumstances and sharing some comfort was just a way to cope. On the other side however, Taiga couldn't help but feel disappointed at the thought that it all meant nothing. He didn't like to think it, but he very much wished it would mean at least something.

Akashi found him the next morning sitting on the ground near the makeshift ball field that mainly consisted of flattened ground and two sticks poking out of the ground to substitute as goals. He had thought of playing a bit, if only to take his mind off things, but there had been no ball and he hadn't wanted to go out and ask around where to find one.

"You missed breakfast." Akashi said in lieu of greeting. He placed a wrapped package in Taiga's lap.

"Didn't feel like socializing. What's this?" Taiga picked the package up.

"Breakfast." Akashi said with a smile and sat down next to Taiga.

"Uh-huh." Taiga unwrapped the package. Inside were sandwiches, a bit smushed and definitely military-issued and therefore probably tasted like shit, but hey free food. "Thanks." He took a bite from the first. "And here I thought they would serve Dim Sum."

"They did. But they were gone before I could reserve some."

"Shame. Well, it wouldn't have been enough anyway I guess. I eat a lot. Heh, maybe I should go and ask if the kitchen needs help. I don't have to feel bad about eating so much when I help making the food I eat." And it would give him something to do instead of sitting around running his mind.

"You can cook?"

"Well, I did live alone for a while. I could have gone out or lived off conbini food, but as I said, I kinda eat a lot. It's easier if I just cook myself so I can make enough."

"You keep saying that, but if I recall correctly - which I certainly do - you ate an average amount yesterday."

Taiga grinned. He finished the last sandwich with two large bites, just because he could. "We are guests here. I figured I behave myself for now. But to be honest, I went to bed quite hungry."

"Is that why you skipped out on breakfast?" There was a faint smile playing on Akashi's lips. It was weird, how relaxed and _at ease_ Akashi seemed, despite the circumstances.

Taiga sighed. "Well, I figured if I wasn't going to be satisfied anyway, I might as well skip completely. Otherwise, I'll just eat the whole buffet."

Akashi raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe. Tell me the real reason why you are out here alone?"

Taiga huffed. "You are pretty noisy, anyone ever told you that?"

"Not to my face. But I'll take it as a compliment."

"It's not that hard to figure out that something's up."

"Maybe not. But I expect no one has tried in a long time."

Taiga exhaled. "You have no right to be this smug about it." Taiga said, but he couldn't quite hide the fondness. And there it was again, the thing they most definitely didn't have going on. "I should probably rub some sense into you."

Akashi gave him a puzzled look. "That sounds vaguely inappropriate."

Taiga felt heat creep into his cheeks. He hoped it wasn't too obvious. "Naah, it's not. My- someone I used to know used to do that when I was acting too much like a little shit. It's basically just abuse of height."

Akashi seemed to have caught his slip, but didn't comment. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Akashi, more like he didn't even want to _think_ about that matter. Even after all this time, the urge to reach for a ring that was no longer there hadn't lessened.

"I can hardly imagine there ever being someone taller than you." Akashi said. And Taiga couldn't help but think it was adorable how miffed he was at the fact.

"I wasn't always this tall. I did have a crazy growth spurt at the end of middle school. Before that." He shrugged. Before that _Tatsuya_ had been taller and there had been nigh a day when he hadn't rubbed that fact in Taiga's face. And since he had left for Japan by that time, he didn't even know if he had finally managed to outgrow Tatsuya.

"Now, as much as I enjoy your continued efforts to dodge unpleasant topics, I would like to know why you skipped breakfast."

"Is that an order?" Taiga asked. He hadn't meant to, but Akashi had flipped to serious so abruptly and just because he wished Akashi genuinely cared, did not mean he did.

"No. I can make it one, if I absolutely have to. I'd rather not, however. This is more a matter of personal interest." There was something in Akashi's voice, as though he knew exactly what Taiga was thinking. He seemed to say _I do care_. Or maybe that was just make belief.

"It's nothing really." Taiga said because he felt he had to. "It's just…" He hooked a finger under his collar and tugged. "I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? I mean I have this chip in my head that can knock me out any time. And that's only the beginning. For all I know I have a satellite locked on to my position. Which would explain why they haven't blown up my head yet."

"Is that everything?" Akashi asked almost casually.

Taiga gaped. "Sorry that I am worried." He snapped. "I just don't like the thought of randomly blowing up and taking you with me, because you're standing too close. But I guess it doesn't really matter when they decide to send a missile to my GPS coordinates." He had had the thought last night after he had finally given up on trying to sleep. He could have slapped himself for overlooking something obvious like that He'd felt like shit for endangering Akashi like that, but couldn't quite help the want to be close anyway. It had chased him out at the crack of dawn, just to get some distance. Not that he could have gone far with the tight leash on him.

"You are worried for me?" Akashi said, sounding young and soft and like he was genuinely surprised by this sentiment.

"Yeah, what about it?" Taiga said defensively. "Is that forbidden now, too?"

Akashi scooted closer. "It makes me happy to hear that."

"…what?" Taiga's brain couldn't quite catch up.

"First of all, you needn't worry about the collar for now. I deactivated its functions. But we can talk to Chang. He is the kind of resourceful that makes me believe he has some aces up his sleeve and might know a thing or two about neurosurgery. Or in the least, knows a guy who knows a thing or two about neurosurgery. It is a considerable risk however. I would hate if something were to happen to you. I am very pleased though that your primary worry is about me."

"Wait, wait, slow down for a minute here." Taiga held up his hand. "Just let me get something straight here. Actually, there's quite a lot that needs straightening. Just how did you turn off the chip? I thought that was impossible."

"I assume you have been told quite a lot of lies regarding the collar and chip. The collar is not designed to be remotely controlled. Any EMP could disturb the signal. I suppose that is a risk the designers did not want to take, although I can only guess, of course. As such, most of its functions can be controlled directly by the current holder of the ID. I turned off the stress sensor, as well as the chip's GPS signal. I also disabled the collar's self destruction function. I could not disable the distance meter however. I assume it is not meant to be turned off. I can't say what consequences will arise, however, if you exceed the distance."

Taiga took a moment to fully comprehend what had been said. He took a moment longer to process everything and what it meant for him. "Okay. Cool, I guess. Why didn't you say anything? I'm not mad or anything. Actually I'm pretty relieved." And that was true. He should be mad probably. He'd been turning the issue over in his head for hours, but he was simply too relieved. He wasn't free, but he didn't have to fear that he'd randomly blow up now.

If he hadn't known better, Taiga would have thought Akashi looked bashful. "To be perfectly honest, it did not occur to me. I foolishly assumed that the fact was obvious. And since you did not inquire further I though the issue was solved. It was a foolish overlook on my part and I apologize for that."

"Well," Taiga rubbed his neck, "like I said, I'm mostly just relieved. Honestly, I was thinking about running away so you wouldn't get caught in any explosion." Okay that had sounded way too serious and invested and maybe he needed to backpedal on that. "It just doesn't sit well with me to catch you up in my problems." There, that should do it.

"Taiga, you do realize that it is rather the other way around? I was the one who dragged you out here. This is a risky operation, one I have willingly decided to undertake. I was not aware of this earlier, but with how the situation was, you would have had no choice but to go along with me. "

"Yeah well. You didn't _force_ me." Taiga insisted.

"I might as well have. Even if you hadn't wanted to join me, you wouldn't have had a choice. And as much as I appreciate your sentiment, please don't get yourself killed on my behalf. I don't think I could quite live with that."

Taiga let out a nervous bark of laughter. "I'm just a slave though. Nothing much to be concerned about. I'm there to be expendable. You're the big shot, negotiating peace and everything."

Akashi raised his hand and lightly flicked a finger against Taiga's forehead. Taiga blinked, startled. "My old middle school team captain used to do that when one of us was talking nonsense." He explained. "And as it is, you were talking quite a lot of nonsense just now."

Taiga rubbed the spot on his forehead. It didn't exactly hurt, but he kind of felt the need to chase the sensation. "Sorry?" He ventured.

"Please, never call yourself a expendable again."

Taiga winced. "I know, it sucks. And I hate it. As long as I wear this," he tugged on the collar, "I'll be a slave. It's not that I've accepted the fact that I'm one, but I had to learn the hard way that fighting it was only going to bring pain. Although, to be fair, I never liked the thought of using my life as a shield for someone else. It was just something that was expected. And I kind of learned to act the part." He didn't add that he could perfectly imagine himself shielding Akashi with his life. The thought wasn't forced, it seemed almost natural.

Akashi looked decidedly unhappy. "And I wish I could undo that."

Taiga shrugged. "It's done. I can't say I don't regret it, but fretting over it won't exactly change it. And I'm still alive. So I guess that counts for something, right?"

Akashi smiled, but it seemed forced somehow. "I still think it is a shame though. And I will personally see to it that both chip and collar are removed and your freedom restored."

"Please don't let Chang operate on me, though. He'd do it with a pair of nail clippers and dental floss."

There was a faint wrinkle of amusement around Akashi's eyes. "Likely. I'd rather not have you die of blood poisoning."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Taiga asked before he could stop himself. Akashi seemed surprised, but now that the question was out Taiga refused to back down.

"Saying what exactly?"

"That you'd care if something happened to me."

Akashi looked at him for a moment. They were still sitting close, arms brushing and it would be an easy thing to just lean over and kiss Akashi. It was a thing, Taiga realized; he'd very much like to do. "Because it's true."

"That's not an answer," Taiga accused, but it came out with little heat. He was caught in the startling red of Akashi's eyes, not for the first time. And he knew for a fact it also wouldn't be the last time.

"It isn't?" Akashi asked. His eyelids were fluttering, fanning out his beautiful long lashes. They were just as red as his hair.

"You need to tell me more clearly." Taiga whispered. His mind gave off a faint warning that this was dangerous, but Taiga didn't listen. All he could think of, was how nicely shaped Akashi's face was, how sweet looking his lips and how much he wanted to just kiss him.

"Then I should do just that." Akashi murmured. His eyes fluttered shut and Taiga had a tiny moment to panic - _this was really happening_ \- before he closed his eyes as well.

But before they could make contact, someone cleared their throat rather pointedly.

Taiga pulled back so fast he almost toppled over and even Akashi looked slightly startled. But unlike Taiga he immediately composed himself, smoothing out his expression. Chang's second in command, a man named Wu was standing a few paces away, looking rather amused at the scene.

Akashi sat up straighter. Taiga could see the faintest dusting of red on his cheeks but Akashi didn't let on if he was unsettled. Taiga wished he could fake calm this easily.

"Chang wants to speak to you. Apparently HQ has a few questions before they make a decision." Wu said. He threw a thumb over his shoulder to indicate Chang's tent.

"I got this." Akashi said smoothly and stood up. "Why don't you wait in our tent? I will be there shortly." He smiled. "I'll bring some more food." With that he walked off, striding confidently past Wu who turned to face Taiga, winked, and strolled off after Akashi.

Taiga buried his face in his hands. Great. Just great.


	4. Chapter 4

The midday heat was brutal as usual. Taiga had shucked his outer layers and was only wearing his underpants and a shirt - combined with a decent amount of 'fuck it' thoughts. It meant he couldn't leave the tent, but as it put him out of the sun's direct brunt, it was quite the acceptable condition. If he lay on the floor and didn't move, that was.

He heard the rustle of the tent flap and made an unspirited attempt to roll over to see who it was.

"What are you doing?" It was Akashi's voice, sounding mildly surprised.

"What's that thing animals do in summer?" Taiga flapped his hand, trying to illustrate the point.

Akashi appeared in his field of vision, looking down at him with a vaguely amused smile. "You mean other than proceeding as usually?"

"Uh… isn't there a thing they do when it's really hot? Like hibernating only in reverse?"

"I'm afraid there is no such thing. Although a lot of animals spend their time in the shade to prevent overheating."

"Okay, so I am doing that." Taiga let his hands flop down. "How did the meeting go?"

Akashi sat down on the cot next to Taiga's legs. He lifted his ankle to rest on the knee of his other leg and started the process of unlacing his combat boots. "As well as one would expect. The Chinese central command was amenable enough and I am positive they will agree to my proposition. If only so they can salvage what is left of their lost pride." He pulled off his shoe and put it neatly at the side of the bed, before starting on the other foot. It was hard to see from the angle, but Taiga thought he saw a sardonic smile on Akashi's lips.

"What about India?" Taiga finally rolled onto his side so he could get a better view of Akashi. Unfortunately, due to the restricted space that meant he had rolled right into Akashi's foot space. He could scoot back, but he found he rather liked it there.

Akashi sighed. He pulled off his second boot and put it down. "That might be a bit more of a problem. India has been rather reluctant about the matter. I'm afraid China will pull back if opposition from the Indian side is too great." He was absently rubbing the pad of his thumb into the ball of his foot. Maybe it was a nervous tick, or maybe his feet hurt, but it didn't seem Akashi was much aware of it.

"That bad?" Taiga shifted and reached out to pluck Akashi's foot from his knee. He dug his own thumbs into the meaty pad, eliciting a startled sigh. Akashi had nice feet, the sole was calloused and he could feel the flexible strength resting in his muscles. They were a bit musky from the heat and spending this much time in shoes, but the skin was clean and soft.

"Ah, that is good." Akashi murmured. He shifted some and started unzipping his uniform jacket. "Don't stop. And it is not as bad as it could be. India's infrastructure has suffered greatly and the economy has been instable for quite a while now. If word about a possible ceasefire gets out to the public, they might create enough pressure to change the government's mind. That is of course mostly speculation."

Taiga hummed. There wasn't much he could offer so he figured silent support was enough. He reached for the other foot, shifting it so it rested against his chest. Akashi sighed, wriggled his toes until they were pressed neatly into Taiga's skin and fell to the side with a contented thunk.

"It is a mess. I can't contact home from here to tell them about progress. Or not-progress. I might be required to function as a hostage in the future to guarantee the continuation of our peace efforts as a means to keep our American allies in check and worst of all, there is nothing I can do from here to influence the situation in India, on which this decision mostly hinges on."

Taiga paused for a moment. Akashi's eyes were closed but he had the slightest frown on his brows. Without thinking, because it seemed to be the natural thing to do, Taiga shifted Akashi's foot to press a kiss on top of it. Akashi's eyelids fluttered but he didn't open his eyes nor did he say anything.

"I'm not sure how to say this. And I guess it's not really my place either. But. It's not up to you to save the world, you know?"

Akashi rolled on his back, without pulling his legs from Taiga's grip. That way, his face was out of Taiga's sight. He dropped a hand over his eyes. "I am not trying to save the world."

"Well, half the world then. It shouldn't have to be that way. You're - what? - 23? It shouldn't be up to you to save the world, even if it's just one half of it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing what you're trying to do. But there's no shame if you fail, you know? You tried and that is more than 99% of this planet's population have done."

"I see your point." Akashi allowed. "But tell me this Kagami Taiga, if I don't try and no one else does, what will happen to this half of our world?"

"It can go to hell, for all I care." Taiga said softly. _I wouldn't mind as long as I can be with you_ , was the unbidden thought that followed. But truly. That had been the essence of it all along. He almost laughed then, hands still wrapped around Akashi's foot - _intimately_ \- and this was just all kinds of messed up - they knew each other for a bit more than _48 hours_ and yet Taiga felt this was the only place he wanted to be.

"That would be a shame." Akashi said quietly.

"We could just move to the other half of the world." Taiga suggested. He ran his hand down from Akashi's ankle to his toes, holding the whole foot between his hands for a moment. There were some sentimental thoughts floating around in his mind, but Taiga didn't listen to them. He set the foot down and picked up the other one to repeat the massage.

"That's a good plan. We could buy a nice little house at the Cap of Africa, near the ocean. Go for a swim whenever it is too hot. Live a nice easy life without war or responsibilities." Akashi mused. "I could offer my business expertise to nearby companies. My father has generously seen to it that I will be most suited to take over the company one day. So I guess that should offer quite the credentials."

"Does that mean I will be your housekeeper?" Taiga said teasingly. He pressed his thumbs firmer into the pad of Akashi's foot.

Akashi hummed. "You can continue as my personal masseur. I promise I pay well."

"Yeah? With food?"

"Among other things." Akashi threw back his head, arm finally falling to the side and revealing the profile of his face.

"I don't need much." Taiga said. "Just some decent food, a bed and a basketball court."

"That can be arranged. I'm afraid I need a bit more for my comfort though. At least my horse should be coming with us."

"You have a horse?"

"Yes. His name is Yukimaru. I miss him dearly. But a warzone is certainly not a place for a horse. I wonder if he misses me as much as I do him."

"I'm sure he does. Hey, didn't you say you'd bring food?"

Akashi turned his head to look at Taiga. "Your fixation on food baffles me. But no, I didn't. I have been regretfully informed that extra rations are 'not a thing here'. I'm afraid if we wish to get lunch, we will have to move now or everything will be gone. Although I do presume that we are too late already."

Taiga shrugged. Which was a rather weird thing to do when lying on the floor. "I guess that's that then. I'll just have to make up during dinner. I'm gonna eat your portion, just so you know."

Akashi grumbled something under his breath. "You are insufferable."

"I do try my best." Taiga said cheerfully.

Akashi sighed again. He wriggled his toes as if to invite Taiga to shift his attention to them - which he gladly did. "If only everyone were as simple as you."

"Okay, I guess I should be offended, but I'm gonna ignore that for now. If you'd put a lot of me's in charge, it'll be chaos, I tell you. We would eat and play basketball the whole day. Dogs would be banned. And I guess burgers would become national food."

"I didn't mean it like that. You are far from simple. But your mindset - the way you view things - is refreshingly uncomplicated. It would make this much easier if people like you were in charge. I might say, this war would have never even started. Although I suppose the banishment of dogs could create some discontent."

"I'll just give out free cats then. Everyone loves kittens." Taiga said easily.

"Maybe that is the solution to all of this. Who would wage war when there is a cat to cuddle? I personally favor horses though."

"Not surprised there." Taiga put down Akashi's feet and rolled to his feet. "Now scoot over. If we're going to save the world, I'd rather plan comfortably."

Akashi obliged, making space for Taiga, only to roll into his chest as soon as he'd lain down. Taiga wrapped his arms around Akashi, pressing his face into the soft red locks. He'd asked on a whim, thinking there really wasn't much to lose, but Akashi had agreed so easily. If only his heart would calm down now. He was sure Akashi could feel it beating against his skin.

"To be fair though, I'm not doing it to save the world." Akashi muttered.

"What are you trying to save then?" Taiga asked.

"Nothing. It is too late for that." There was a note of sadness in Akashi's voice now. Taiga tightened his grip some and pressed a kiss on Akashi's head.

"You don't have to talk about it."

Akashi shifted, pressing his nose into Taiga's collar bone. "You are hot, but I don't care." There was a moment of inward flailing until Taiga realized that Akashi was, in fact, referring to the temperature. "It's fine. It's been a long time. And to be honest, it isn't anything remarkable either. Just a lesson learned too late."

Taiga moved a hand to Akashi's back to rub soothing circles, not sure if he should say something.

"My mother, as you know, was a princess. She was outstanding in many ways. Although I guess it doesn't say much if I say that as her son." Akashi let out a soft laugh."But she was truly amazing. She was overseeing multiple charities and she was very outspoken against the war. I guess she mellowed some after marrying my father, but she would still continue her charity work to support people in less fortunate areas. She would often travel to affected areas, even after the war started. There had been a lot of discord, but she was too stubborn to be stopped. She was in Jakarta when China launched their missile attack to wipe out the Southeast Asian defense alliance.

"So you might say this is a twisted effort of revenge."

"I wouldn't call that revenge. You are trying to fix what is wrong with this world. And I think that is a very noble cause."

"I don't want to fix anything though. I just want to make my mother's wish come true."

"And that's fine." Taiga assured. "I'm sure your mother would be proud of you."

"I doubt so. My tactics are way too underhanded. But I suppose she would appreciate the outcome. If I manage to succeed that is."

"I guess then we should do everything we can to make sure that happens." Taiga said.

"I am glad I have met you." Akashi said. "You have a way of putting things into perspective for me. I've always prided myself in having an excellent overview but even I can get caught up in details."

"I'm glad I could be of use."

Akashi shifted, moving backwards some until he could look at Taiga's face. "At the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum, it truly is a shame."

"You keep saying that. And I'm not sure I understand what you are referring to."

Akashi's eyes held a soft expression. He pulled one arm from where it was wrapped around Taiga to rest the palm of his hand on Taiga's cheek. "This. You. Life should have offered you so much more than this. You deserve a happy life. The happiest."

Taiga forced a smile that came out wobbly. "That's certainly the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"And that's another shame. You deserve all the nice things said about you and to you. Say, this might be a bit forward, but I am at my limit here. You are ridiculously hot, I am painfully hard and can I just kiss you already?"

Taiga opened his mouth, but his brain had encountered a critical error. So instead of struggling to find an answer to _that_ verbal bomb, he simply let his body take over. He threaded a hand into the hair at the back of Akashi's head, angling him up, before slanting their lips together. He'd have to lie to say he hadn't thought about this excessively and obsessively. But the real thing made all of his fantasies look pale and boring in comparison.

Akashi was warm and wet and very eager. Taiga didn't have much experience, beyond some teenage fumbling and experiments and Akashi seemed to be equally as clueless, but despite the fumbling and the sloppy nature of the kiss, Taiga completely lost himself in it. He dragged his teeth over Akashi's lips, followed it up with his tongue, only half aware of the sounds they were making.

Akashi took Taiga's lower lip between his teeth and tugged. He was breathless, eyes bright and cheeks flushed a color as deeply red as his hair. "Can you be quiet enough or do I need to gag you?"

The breath escaped from Kagami's lungs. "Did you just skip at least ten steps?" His mind was running wild with the proposed scenario and he couldn't find a single fault with the direction they were heading towards.

Akashi huffed and pulled him into another kiss. "I am not taking you on a date if that is what you are referring to. I don't have the patience for that. Now please tell me you are on board. I would hate to have to rely on my own hand for this."

"I'm all on board. But, just as a warning. I am a virgin." Saying it out loud wasn't as embarrassing as he'd feared, but that was mainly because as soon as he'd finished the first sentence, Akashi had pressed up to him and that was very much an erection pressing against his thigh.

"A shame truly. But I suppose not without merit." Akashi was sitting up and had pulled Taiga with him for better access.

"So?" Taiga asked breathlessly, mind too occupied with other things to come up with a more suitable response. Akashi had started groping his butt.

"I confess to being rather territorial. The thought of being your first excites me. Very much." Akashi shifted his fingers, digging into the band of Taiga's boxers and tugging insistently.

"That's good then." Taiga breathed. He wriggled to help Akashi tug down his boxers. He let his own hands roam over Akashi's torso in turn, exploring the expanse of skin there, marveling at the smooth lines and muscles and the sheer strength trapped under deceptively smooth skin.

Akashi grabbed Taiga's shirt and pulled, reaching his neck in the time it took for Taiga's brain to catch up and make him freeze. Akashi noticed immediately. He stopped, shifting to look into Taiga's eyes. "Not alright?" He asked softly.

"I'd rather keep my shirt on." Taiga said equally soft. Akashi had seen them of course, but he couldn't fathom the sight to be anything but off putting.

"Okay. If that is what you want. But I'll have you know, I think you are beautiful, with or without scars."

Taiga had to look away. "You're just saying that."

"I do not lie, Taiga." Akashi said seriously. "And as I said. I won't press you if you want to keep covering them. But you must be uncomfortable in this heat."

"True." Taiga allowed. "You sure you're okay with it?"

Akashi gave a long-suffering sigh. "Honestly, I wish you would just take my word for it. I do not like to be doubted."

Taiga gave a weak smile. "It's not you I doubt. I just can't imagine the sight to be much… you know… stimulating?"

"It's a part of you. Nothing about you could put me off."

"I can't understand how you can say this stuff with a straight face."

"It is easy enough." Akashi said lightly. "Now, will you take off your shirt?"

Taiga huffed, trying for exasperated but it came out rather fond. "Why are you so eager to see my back?"

"I might have a certain kink regarding touch. I have been told it is a manifestation of my possessive streak, but I like to think of it as a form of tactile appreciation."

Taiga assessed Akashi for a moment. "You are serious."

"Of course. Just the thought of getting my hands all over you makes me want to cum in my pants."

Taiga groaned. "Alright, I'll take it off. But only if you keep talking. That's one of _my_ kinks." Which he had just conveniently discovered.

Akashi smirked. "With pleasure." He murmured, right into Taiga's ear. He wound his hand into Taiga's hair and angled him for a kiss, a dirty thing that sent all the blood in Taiga's body towards his groin. He shifted, wanting to rub his now painfully hard erection against Akashi's stomach to get some huge needed relief, but Akashi shifted out of the way.

"Be a good boy." Akashi ordered. "I will take good care of you." He ran a hand up Taiga's belly, leaving trails of heat in their weak. Akashi pulled off Taiga's shirt in a smooth motion, tossing it off to the side. He shifted into Taiga's lap then, straddling him. Taiga could feel the wet spot at the front of his pants rubbing against his own abdomen. His own cock was trapped in a similar fashion in between their thighs and he had a hard time trying not to shift to create some friction.

Akashi leaned forward, pressing their chests together and nuzzling his face into the crook of Taiga's neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling Taiga's scent and letting out a pleased hum upon exhale. "I don't know if I should be jealous or grateful." Akashi murmured.

Taiga huffed a laugh, breathless himself. He rested his hands on Akashi's hips, trying to grind them together more, but Akashi lightly slapped his wrist.

"I told you I would take care of you." He said with a chiding undertone.

"I want to touch-" Taiga breathed but his words were cut off by Akashi running the palm of his hand down his back. He'd been sensitive there ever since the first whipping, except for the few parts where nerve damage was too bad and the sensation - having Akashi's hands there so boldly - it made the breath catch in his throat.

"It's alright," Akashi whispered. He rubbed soothing circles into Taiga's back to ease the sudden tension. "I have to confess something." Akashi's breath was hot on Taiga's neck, sending goose bumps of pleasure along his shoulders and arms. He shifted, pressing his mouth into the spot below Taiga's ear. "I wish to defile you Kagami Taiga. For each scar on your body, I want to bend you over and fuck you, down to the tiniest scar. And when I'm done, I will start all over again, but this time I will be gentle and worship every centimeter of your body until you have forgotten every instance of pain in your life."

A wet sound escaped Taiga's throat. It wasn't exactly a moan, but something close and very needy.

"Would you like that?" Akashi murmured. He bit at Taiga's earlobe, pulling some, before letting go. "Tell me, Taiga. What would you have me do to you?"

Taiga had to squeeze his eyes shut and count to ten to calm down his mounting arousal. He didn't want to come too soon and end this. Noises fell from his lips, outside of his control no matter how much he tried to hold them back. Akashi's fingers were rubbing patterns into his back, following the lines of his scars and where before he'd shied at any touch, his skin now felt like it was aflame with desire.

"Tell me." Akashi urged into his ear. There was the faintest hint of an order in his voice, making Taiga's pulse jump up a few notches.

"I want you to…" Taiga's voice was cut off by an abrupt moan, caused by Akashi sneaking his hand to his chest and tweaking a nipple. Akashi dragged his teeth down Taiga's neck, reaching out with his tongue to lick a long, wet stripe down his overheated skin. "I'm listening." He murmured.

"Akashi… please…" Taiga squeezed his eyes shut again. His breathing was out of control and sparks seemed to dance in front of his eyes. "I just… can we just…"

Akashi shifted to look at him, worry now evident in his eyes. "What is it?" He asked. "Is it too much?"

"No," Taiga breathed. He finally shifted his hands from where they had clung to Akashi's hips and grabbed his shoulders. Partly to reassure, partly to ground himself. "It's just so much at once and your voice…" He took a deep breath. "God, your voice is just so damn sexy, it's driving me crazy. And I feel like I just can't take it. Sorry, this doesn't make any sense."

"I might have gotten carried away." Akashi acknowledged. He made to shift away further, but Taiga held him in place.

"Please stay." Taiga said and he'd hate how needy he sounded, but Akashi was still close and even though he was uncomfortably hot, it felt nice.

"I won't go anywhere." Akashi said softly. "Not as long as you'll have me."

"Just." Taiga swallowed. His eyes were welling up, great. "It's my first time and I'd rather." He took another deep breath, but the words would just not come. He was messing up the one good thing that had happened to him in forever.

Akashi raised a hand and rested it on Taiga's cheek, thumb rubbing soothing circles on his jaw. "You want to take it slow? I can do that. I'm sorry I got carried away. I did not wish to spook you."

"You didn't." Taiga assured. "I…" Heat was already gathering in his cheeks but Taiga decided to hell with it. "I would really like to do it that way some other time. But."

"Not for your first time." Akashi murmured, pressing a kiss to Taiga's cheek. He had not realized that tears had started falling. Great. "I apologize. I should have considered that." Akashi moved back again. "Alright. Do you want to take the lead? You can tell me what to do."

Taiga took a moment to regain his composure. "Can we just lie down for now? I want to touch you. Just." _Get a feeling of you._ And not be thinking about how short lived this may be, how slim their chances were of making it out in one peace - both of them with Taiga's track record - how even then there was no guarantee that they would see each other again with Akashi being a prince and Taiga being a medically enhanced superhuman with a severely shortened lifespan. And how that was a fact that still stood between them unaddressed.

"Gladly." Akashi said with a smile. He shifted backwards and then gracefully untangled from where his legs were wrapped around Taiga's bottom. It took a lot of maneuvering before they could fit comfortably and in the end Akashi simply decreed this was no way of living and they ended up shoving all four cots together to form one large makeshift love nest.

Taiga had calmed down significantly and he was confident enough to divest Akashi of his pants and therefore deciding the continued direction of the afternoon.

"Do you have any experience?" Akashi asked once they were settled. They had both flagged some during the intermission and Taiga was comfortable enough for now to just lie there, carding his hands through scarlet red locks and let his body acclimatize.

"Basics." Taiga said. "You know, horny teenagers exploring their bodies and such. I knew quite early on that I was gay. I had a huge crash on my brother. He wasn't my real brother or anything, but we'd decided that we were so close that we might as well be." The memory brought a drop of sadness to his mind, but Akashi's comfortable warmth kept a soothing blanket over the pain. His hand only itched momentarily to reach for the absent ring.

Akashi hummed. "Tell me if I do anything uncomfortable." He instructed as he ran his hands down Taiga's sides. "We don't have to do anything, but I'd very much like to touch you."

"'S fine." Taiga said. "You can touch me whenever. I just need a slower pace for now."

"But nothing happened with that brother of yours?" Akashi picked up the thread of conversation.

"No. I wasn't brave enough to confess. He was." Taiga thought for a moment. "He was… I don't know how to explain it."

"Straight?" Akashi offered with a smile.

Taiga swatted him on the butt for good measure. "No. He was pan I think. That's what he used to say. He was just so weird about certain things. Like, he got mad at me when I didn't take our rivalry seriously because I was worried I'd hurt him. And he would have been mad I guess, if I'd ever confessed. Like we were supposed to be brother and it would complicate things if we'd started having a thing. We even…" He hesitated, but there was really no point in withholding this. They had shared so much already. "We even got matching rings to commemorate our brotherhood. What about you?"

Akashi hummed. "I had a rather beneficial relationship with an upperclassman in Rakuzan. He was very thorough in his teachings. And in case you were asking if I was gay, I knew in middle school when I met my basketball team captain for the first time and knew I wanted to tap that."

"Did you?"

"Unfortunately, he was as straight as a ruler. And way too decent to lead a kouhai astray." He sighed at the memory. "Is there a reason you speak of your brother in past tense?"

"You had to ask, didn't you?" Taiga said with no real heat to it.

"I am susceptible to an inquisitive mind, yes."

"That's a fancy way of saying you are curious as hell, isn't it?"

"Possibly." Akashi allowed. He let his hands roam over Taiga's back, slowly and with care he traced the patchwork of scars. It was an odd feeling. He usually hated being touched there, as it was either too sensitive or too little, but Akashi's fingers were soft and careful and he found he very much liked the sensation.

"It's complicated." Taiga said slowly. Normally, he could barely stand the thought of Tatsuya, the memory still a raw wound, but now he felt somewhat at peace with it. Maybe that was just the pleasure numbing his pain. "I met him in America. He was the only other Japanese kid in the neighborhood so we bonded easily. We met on a basketball court and that was basically what pulled us together. It was nice. He was a year older than me and he basically taught me everything I know about the game. We'd play a lot. We had this ongoing one-on-one thing, where we tried to determine for once and for all who was best. But it was pretty even matched."

Akashi shifted some more, pressing his face into Taiga's chest. Bolder, now that he had calmed down, Taiga wrapped his hands around Akashi's buttocks and squeezed. He hadn't gotten a good look at Akashi's cock earlier, but he could feel it harden against his thigh. He would take a good look later.

"We had one last match before I was supposed to go back to Japan. It would finally decide who was better, but I just couldn't do it. He was my brother and if I beat him - which I knew I would - he would stop being my brother. He had this conviction going on that we couldn't be brothers and rivals at the same time. So once we decided who was better, we'd be rivals for the rest of our lives. I didn't play at full strength. I thought, if he beat me, he'd continue being my brother because he'd still have some stuff to teach me and all.

"It obviously didn't work out and he got mad at me for holding back." Taiga felt the familiar prick of tears in his eyes, but the feeling waned as fast as it had waxed. It still hurt, it probably always would, but talking to Akashi the day before, about loss and grieving, had made him realize that feeling that way was okay. There was no deadline at which he had to have moved on - compounding the pain with the guilt he'd felt over not meeting the deadline, over not being able to deal with his pain and feelings of loss.

"That was the last time I saw him. I don't know if he was still in California, when the bombs hit." he had scoured the records of the deceased for his name, but there were so many and there was no guarantee that they were even complete. His father had been there and in a way that had been worse, to get absolute clarity that he was dead and would never come back. "But I've never heard from him again. I kind of still hold out hope that he slipped through somehow, but. I don't think I'll ever know for sure."

Akashi's hands were still tracing his back, gentle and comforting. "That must be frustrating." Akashi said softly.

"Yeah. I wanted to go look for him, you know? I had this great plan in my head that I would go to America and find him. It would be tough, but I was convinced I could do it. I was his brother after all. We would be reunited and everything would be good again." Taiga gave a short self-deprecating laugh. "He was everything I had left. Airports were closed, so I figured I could go to one of the American military bases in Okinawa." At the time America and Japan had entered a non-aggression pact with each other. The army bases had only been staffed with a skeleton crew to maintain basic function. "On the way to Okinawa I was snatched up by recruiters. And that's how I ended up in this mess."

It helped to say it out loud. He'd carried this around with him for so long it had become a part of him. But now he felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest.

"Does it make me a bad person if I say I am glad? I would not have met you, if you hadn't gone down that path. Although I do wish it would have caused you less pain."

Taiga laughed softly. "I should probably be mad at this, yes. But I get the sentiment. It's kind of hard to be mad at what's happened when it has led me here."

"Then we can both be bad people together. There is no fun in being a good person, anyway."

"Yeah?" Taiga said teasingly. "I guess you're right." He shoved his hand down between them and gripped Akashi's dick. "A good boy wouldn't do this."

Akashi's breath caught and he dug his fingers into Taiga's skin reflexively. "Does that mean you want to continue?" He asked, breathless.

"Very much, yes."

"Good." Akashi breathed. His cock twitched in Taiga's hand, eagerly coming back to life. It was a heady experience to hold someone else's dick in his hand. Akashi was a solid and hot weight against his palm. Taiga shifted backwards to get a better look at it. It was slightly smaller than his, thinner as well, but it stood in a completely straight line, unlike Taiga's slightly crooked dick.

It looked nice there, wrapped in the palm of his hand, hot and heavy. He tugged experimentally; testing the moves he liked on himself and was rewarded with a breathy moan. Akashi dug his fingers into the meat of Taiga's arms, gasping and expelling the sweetest little moans Taiga had ever heard. Taiga rubbed his thumb over the head of Akashi's cock, spreading some of the beading liquid.

"Taiga…" Akashi murmured. His head fell back on a breathy moan and a shudder raked through his body, when Taiga pulled back the foreskin.

"Yeah?" Taiga said breathlessly. "Is this good? I can suck you off if you want." He'd never done it before, but god he wanted to. He wanted to taste and feel all of Akashi, do some tactile appreciation of his own. He latched on to Akashi's exposed neck, dragged his teeth over the skin and felt Akashi's pulse jump in response.

"Fuck," was all Akashi managed in between his moans. Taiga decided he had to kiss that filthy mouth and so he did. He stilled the motions of his hand for now, giving Akashi some reprieve and them both the time to explore each other's mouths. Akashi bit at Taiga's lower lip again, applying just the barest amount of pressure before letting go. He was panting hard and by the rate he was going, Taiga's own heartbeat was quickly picking up as well.

"If you'd do that, I'm afraid I won't last long at all." Akashi said once they had sated their appetites on each other - for now. His eyes were shining bright, the deep scarlet shade seemingly aflame with desire and lust. Taiga had to swallow to wet his suddenly very dry throat. "I propose we reserve that for another time. For now, I'd like you to fuck me."

Taiga's heart rate spiked at those words. His brain was about to short-circuit and he had to make a conscious effort to retain some basic logical functions. "I'd like that." He said shakily. "But don't we need some lube and a condom? I think I'm clean, but it's best to be safe and all…" He was blabbering, but he couldn't quite stop himself. The thought of fucking Akashi, of having his dick in his ass did funny things to his brain capacity.

Akashi smirked. He twisted around on their makeshift bed to retrieve something from his discarded pants. He resurfaced with a small bottle and a pack of condoms. Taiga's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Do I want to know?" Taiga asked.

Akashi threw the pack of condoms at him. "I asked Chang if he could supply me with the necessities. I guess that means he knows what we are up to, but if it is any consolation, he clapped me on the shoulder and told me I had procured a good catch."

Taiga groaned. "I'm not gonna be able to look him in the eye, will I?"

"I expect _I_ will be the one limping for the next days, so I guess you will acquire quite the reputation instead."

Taiga flushed. "Do you have to put it this crudely?"

"Mh, I would say your reaction was more than warranting."

Taiga couldn't really argue with that when his cock had given a very interested twitch. "Alright. Let's not talk about Chang or anyone else who's not present right now."

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"How about how I can get my dick inside of your ass as fast as possible?"

"Accepted." Akashi said smoothly, only to pull Taiga into a deep kiss. "How would you like it? I could prepare myself, or would you rather do it?"

Taiga expelled the air in his lungs and it came out rather shaky. "I…" Truthfully, he didn't know what he wanted. He'd never prepared ass before, but it couldn't be that hard and he wanted to too… But watching Akashi do it himself…

"How about I start doing it and you watch? You can take over whenever you wish." Akashi sounded remarkably well put together and that was just unfair. Taiga nodded. He didn't exactly trust his voice right now.

"Lie down." Akashi ordered and Taiga obliged. Akashi straddled his hips. The sight was a nice one; Akashi's skin was flushed and his balls were rubbing against Taiga's stomach whenever he moved. Akashi opened the small container and squeezed out some lube. He warmed it in his hands, before reaching behind himself.

Too late did Taiga register that this way he wouldn't get to see much of the actual act, but just then Akashi tensed, back arching and he let out a breathy sigh. Taiga was transfixed by the ever-shifting expression on his face. He put his hands on Akashi's hips to ground him while staring at his face.

Akashi shifted, leaning forward some to get a better angle and Taiga took the chance to plant kisses all over his face. Akashi chuckled breathlessly but continued his efforts.

"Tell me when you're ready." Taiga whispered. "I'm gonna take care of you." Akashi closed his eyes, breathed out on a shaky exhale and then shuddered.

Finally, after what seemed forever, he pulled out his fingers. "I'm ready." He breathed. "Can we stay like this or do you want a different position?"

Taiga reached for the condom with trembling fingers. He couldn't believe this was really happening. "This is fine." Taiga said gruffly. He needed a few attempts until he finally got the condom on right. He looked up at Akashi who presented the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. They exchanged reassuring smiles, Taiga's shaky and in awe, while Akashi's was slightly dazed.

Akashi wrapped his hand around Taiga's cock and tugged a few times. Taiga arched his back as the sensation hit him. He had been painfully hard for a while now and he had serious concerns about just how long he would be able to last. Akashi shifted forward and brought his ass in position right above Taiga's cock.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." Taiga said hoarsely.

He watched entranced as Akashi lowered himself down, slowly, millimeter by millimeter. Every bit of progress sent sparks of heat through his system and Taiga had to focus his thoughts very hard on something else not to come right then.

"God," he breathed, "you are so beautiful." Akashi's movement stuttered and he sunk down a substantial length at once, startling a loud gasp from him and an equally loud moan from Taiga.

"You should see yourself." He replied. "Makes me wonder how you would look with my dick up your ass."

Taiga's whole body twitched at the thought of that suggestive image. It caused Akashi to sink down the last centimeters, breathless, covered in sweat and looking more radiant than ever. "Would you like that?" Taiga had aimed for teasing, but it came out needier than intended.

"Very much." Akashi said. He sat very, very still and Taiga tried his best to do the same, but it was hard when all he wanted was to move and push up into that tight heat.

"Then, we'll do that next time. You can have me anytime you want."

"Taiga…" Akashi's eyes were glazed over and his breath came in short, loud gasps.

Taiga swallowed. He dug his fingers into the fabric of the sheets, willing his muscles to stay still. "Can I move… Seijuurou?"

Akashi shuddered, collapsing forward until he caught himself on his arms. "Yes, please." He said urgently, eyes screwed shut.

Taiga grabbed his hips, levered him up and pressed his own hips into the mattress. He stayed like that for a moment, savoring the sight of his cock disappearing into Akashi's body like it belonged there. Akashi opened his mouth, as if to ask him to continue, and Taiga picked that exact moment to shift his hips upwards.

"Fuck." The curse seemed to have been startled from Akashi and that made it that much hotter.

Taiga set a steady pace, snapping his hips up. Akashi's fingers dug into the sheets and Taiga could see him tremble with the effort to stay up. Taiga shifted his hands to Akashi's ass, squeezing the taut flesh and feeling the flexing of powerful muscles underneath.

"Faster." Akashi gasped and he managed to make it sound like a command. Taiga was all too happy to oblige. He dug his feet into the mattress to give himself leverage as he thrust up into Akashi's ass. He could feel the tension build in his groin, building up with increased pace towards his climax.

"Taiga." Akashi moaned and then collapsed, dropping his entire weight onto Taiga's chest. The impact almost threw off Taiga's rhythm. He expelled wet, little noises into Taiga's chest, biting at the skin in a futile effort to rein them in. The length of his cock was rubbing against Taiga's abdomen and Taiga could feel drops of liquid spilling out.

Taiga's own climax was nearing, he could feel it. His rhythm stuttered and then came to a complete halt. He threw his arms around Akashi and pressed him close. His hips kept bucking up, trapping Akashi's dick between their bodies and then his orgasm overtook him with blinding force. He was vaguely aware that he was moaning loudly and obscenely but didn't have the capacity to care. Akashi shuddered in his arms, hot breath expelling against Taiga's own overheated skin.

He was slowly coming down again and awareness struck that Akashi was still hard between them. Taiga shifted his hips to increase friction and then whispered into Akashi's ear, "Seijuurou."

"Taiga…" Akashi let out a breathless moan and then tensed up, fingers clawing at Taiga's arms as he was overwhelmed by his own orgasm.

Taiga rubbed soothing circles into his back while Akashi rode out his orgasm. He could feel the sticky heat spilling on his abdomen and the thought that he had not only just come inside of Akashi, but also had been marked by his cum put Taiga's refraction time to a serious test.

Akashi relaxed with a final sigh against Taiga, body boneless and satisfied. Taiga wriggled his hips and slipped out of him, causing a disgruntled noise. Taiga patted Akashi's back in consolation and reached down with the other hand to secure the condom. He tied it off and then, after some deliberation and the harrowing realization that there was no trashcan anywhere in sight, dropped it on the ground, hoping he wouldn't step on it later.

Akashi muttered something but it was lost in the planes of Taiga's chest.

"What was that?" Taiga asked.

Akashi lifted his head and propped up his chin on Taiga's sternum, not exactly comfortable for either of them but whatever. "I said, we should probably clean up and also take a shower, but I quite honestly can't find the will to move."

Taiga grinned. "Not even for food?"

"You can't tell me you are hungry again?"

"I didn't eat anything today, except for some sandwiches, remember?"

"Oh." Akashi's face fell.

"And, I worked out rather intense just now."

Akashi grimaced. "Are you saying I am a workout?"

"Nah, I'm saying that this would be the perfect day, if we'd had some food."

Akashi flopped back down, evidently too exhausted to keep himself up. "You are a horrible person."

Taiga laughed. He ran a hand through Akashi's sweat matted hair. They were both gross and sweaty and it was still way too hot, but honestly, he couldn't have cared less. "It's fine. We can stay here and cuddle as much as you want."

"That's good." Akashi speech had gotten somewhat slurred. "If it's okay with you, I'd say we never ever leave here."

"What about the war?" Taiga said. But he couldn't help but think how nice it would be to stay here like this. Maybe less sticky and a lot cooler, but he wasn't going to complain about details. It was nice.

"The war can go screw itself." It was almost cute how sleepy Akashi sounded. Scratch that, it was definitely cute. Akashi burrowed his face deeper into Taiga's shoulder. "As long as you keep screwing me." He murmured, barely audible over the sounds of their breathing.

Taiga felt warmth swell in his chest and he thought that this was easily the closest he had come to happiness since the catastrophe four years ago. He pressed a kiss to the top of Akashi's head and then shifted one of his hands to rest in a nest of red locks. His own exhaustion was taking over and Taiga closed his eyes to follow Akashi into the peaceful realm of dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

Things were good. And that was a weird thing to realize for Taiga. Things hadn't been goof in a very long time. But now, things weren't just good, they were amazing and he was happy and content. Even the collar around his neck couldn't mar that.

It was too early to even think of love, but Taiga wouldn't be surprised if that was where the road was leading.

Of course, nothing was ever as clean-cut and simple, especially not in times of war.

They were woken early the next morning by one of Chang's soldiers. An important meeting was to be held now and both their presence was required.

"What's this about?" Taiga asked, after the soldier had disappeared. His heart was still beating fast and only the fact that there had been no weapon in range had saved the poor soldier from being shot as Taiga had instinctively reacted to a conceived threat. It was a good thing that his weapons were all neatly stowed away, but at the same time Taiga had realized that if an attack were to happen, his weapons would be _neatly stowed away and therefore out of range_.

But that was something he could worry about later.

"I have not the slightest clue." Akashi said tightly. His face was drawn in tense lines and Taiga felt a sting of worry. Akashi was not an especially open person - bedroom adventures notwithstanding - so to see worry written so openly on his face was alarming.

"You think it's something bad?" Taiga picked up his handgun, but hesitated over his rifles. After the consensus they had found two days ago, their weapons had been returned.

"I hope it is something favorable, but I am preparing for the worst." Akashi picked up his sword.. "Although it would suit us to show good faith." He hesitated over his guns, before carefully picking up the holster with the handgun and clicking it to his belt.

Taiga had fewer qualms and picked up both his gun and the assault rifle. Akashi regarded his choice for a moment before nodding. As his bodyguard, it was to be expected that Taiga was armed.

Together, they made their way towards the tent they'd held the first meeting in. They were expected by an impatient Hsu and a grim looking Chang.

"There you are." Hsu greeted curtly. Chang only nodded, looking tense but without hostility. Taiga hoped that was a good sign.

"Good morning General, Major." Akashi said with tight courtesy.

Hsu exhaled a very large sigh. He seemed to relax some. "Sit down," He indicated the chairs they had sat on the last time. "Sorry, about the rush. But we have had word from India and they asked for an immediate conference call. They asked for your presence. I can only assume this means good news. Otherwise, we'd have gotten an order already."

"The Commander-in-Chief of the Indian army does have a reputation and a temper." Chang said grimly. "I wouldn't put it past her to demand your execution on the spot."

Hsu gave Chang a glare. "I expect Commander Gupta to know better than that."

Chang shrugged. "I hope she does. I'd rather not put your reputation to the test." He nodded towards Taiga.

Taiga grimaced. "Yeah, I'd rather not." Chang was likely referring to a different reputation than Taiga was thinking of, but he'd gladly gone without either of them.

"We're connected," came a voice from the side. There, at a table stocked full with radios, transmitters and other machines, sat a woman with a pair of headphones on her head. Her English was polished to perfection and Taiga figured she was the camp's comm. officer.

She said something in Chinese into the attached microphone, before pulling the headset from her head. She then flicked a few switches on one of her machines. The speaker set on the center of the table came to life with a static crackle, before smoothing out as the woman adjusted a few knobs.

"Commander Hsu, this is central command speaking." A tense sounding male voice said from the speakers.

"This is Commander Hsu." Hsu replied, finally sitting down in one of the chairs. The comm. officer pulled her headphones back on and started monitoring the transmission, adjusting whenever static acted up.

"Good. India will join us in a minute. Is everyone there on your side?"

"Yes."

"We'll save introductions for later. India has been cryptic, which could mean anything and nothing. You know how they are. But we're prepared for whatever outcome. President Jiang has expressed his highest respect for Emperor Akishino and he is willing to cooperate. That is all you need to know for now."

"Alright." Hsu rubbed a hand over his face. "Let's do this." He gave the comm. officer a signal and she flipped another switch.

There was a mechanical beep and then another bit of static, before a heavily accentuated female voice said in English: "This is Field Marshal Gupta. Can you hear me?" Her voice was interspersed with more static and the comm. officer adjusted some more until she was smoothed out.

"Loud and clear, Field Marshal." Hsu said. He threw Chang a glance, who rolled his eyes in response. Hsu shook his head and Chang sighed silently, before sitting up properly.

"Good. What about central command?"

"We can hear you," said the other voice from the speaker.

"Gentlemen, before we start, I think a quick round of introductions is in order. State your name, rank and affiliation in short order please. I'll begin. I am General Bai Lin of central command, highest acting authority of the Chinese Republican Army. I will also be functioning as the mediator in this meeting."

"I am Major General Nianzu Hsu, Commander of the deployed forces of the South Asian coalition army." Hsu said.

"I am Major Chang, my reputation reaches a mile wide so I gotta skip on that." There was an audible exhale through the speaker. Faintly, a muttered curse could be heard. Taiga felt the urge to laugh despite himself.

Gupta cleared her throat, telegraphing her distaste. "I am Field Marshall Abi Gupta, I am a direct representative of the President of the Republic of India and Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Defensive forces. I speak on behalf of the people of India."

There was a moment's pause after that when all the attention turned to Akashi. Akashi seemed to collect himself for a moment before he finally spoke. "I am Captain Akashi Seijuurou of the Japanese Armed Forces, as well as Prince Seijuurou of Akishino, eighth in line to the Imperial throne of Japan. I speak for the Imperial family." There was a quiet sort of commanding tone in his voice, one that demanded instant respect. Taiga could see the effect it had on the atmosphere within the tent. Everyone straightened up. He'd known of course, but now he truly believed that Akashi was a prince of Imperial blood.

Said prince poked his foot into the meat of Taiga's calf moments later. Belatedly, Taiga realized that it was his turn. He stared stupidly at the speaker for a moment. "Uh, I'm Kagami Taiga. Soldier of the Japanese Armed Forces." _And I have no idea what I'm even doing here,_ he added in his head. He wasn't even a soldier, technically. "And Akashi's bodyguard." He added belatedly.

"Is that all?" Gupta asked and Taiga was about to open his mouth and defend his weak credentials, but Hsu beat him to it.

"That would be everyone, yes."

"Good. I'm on a tight schedule; I would appreciate if we get this over with soon."

"Understood." Lin said. "Then let me begin with extending the greetings of President Jiang to the Imperial Prince Seijuurou." Hsu nodded towards Akashi, while Lin was speaking." President Jiang has offered you and your companion a full amnesty as well as asylum on the grounds of the Chinese Republic in recognition of your efforts to end this war, regardless of the outcome of this meeting."

Akashi tilted his head in acceptance, but Taiga - attuned to the fine shifts in Akashi's moods - could see the hard expression in his eyes. "Thank you General. That is very generous of you and your people."His voice was courteous, but there was a hint of coldness to it.

And when Taiga caught Chang's eyes - an unhappy expression in them - he realized that this was a double edged offer. They, or at least Akashi, would make a very valuable hostage in any eventuality. Traitor or not, he was still an Imperial prince.

There was a notable pregnant pause on Gupta's side. Taiga supposed that hidden agenda or not, this was a clear message to India all the same.

"There is no reason to act skittish." Gupta eventually said. "The President has offered his goodwill for this operation. Although a few issues remain that need to be resolved, before we offer our full support. India has lost much in the war and we will not accept an unfavorable arrangement. But first of all, Prince Seijuurou, how can you proof to us that your plan will succeed? America has yet to develop an interest in peace as the war has been very lucrative for them."

"America is bound by the American-Japanese defense treaty to enter any ceasefire Japan negotiates for the duration of a year, during which no hostile actions may be undertaken that threaten that ceasefire, unless the participants break it themselves." Akashi cited.

"I am aware of that. It will give us a buffer, but America is free to re-enter hostilities once the year is over." Gupta said coldly. "I hope you can do better than that"

"Is India really in the position to reject a year of peace?"

Chang imitated a whistle, but without a sound. Hsu shot him a warning look that Chang ignored, as per usual. Taiga was watching Akashi very closely. He seemed outwardly relaxed and his voice betrayed not a sign of distress. But in his lap, where only Taiga could see, his hands were clenched tightly, nails digging half moons into his palms. Taiga surreptitiously shifted his chair under pretense of getting closer to the speaker.

Under the table and out of everyone's eyes, he bumped his knee against Akashi's in silent support. Akashi didn't give an outward sign of recognition but the tension in his hands relaxed.

Gupta was silent for a moment. "Careful what you insinuate, Prince." She warned.

"I am not insinuating, Field Marshal." Akashi replied. "I am asking you a simple question.

Another beat of silence. Then, "Very well then. India would indeed benefit from a ceasefire, however temporary it may be. But do not forget, that America will also use this time to recover."

"And a lot can change in a year, Field Marshal." Akashi cut in. "I do not plan to offer a temporary ceasefire. I plan to restore peace in this part of the world. _Ultimately_ not proximately. This here is merely the first step. I can't make you any promises as to when, but know this, it will happen. The USA is nearing an election. I hope I do not have to tell you what that means."

"The liberals have gained steady support after the Russia fiasco." Chang said casually. "It'll need a decent shove though for them to take the prize. And then there's opposition and you know how difficult they can be."

Akashi merely inclined his head, a small smile playing on his lips. This time, Chang whistled for real.

"What are you implying?" Gupta asked. The woman was sharp, undoubtedly.

"I am merely a representative Field Marshal." Akashi said. "Don't forget that." There was a warning in his voice, smooth and cold and sending shivers down Taiga's spine that probably excited him more than they should. Taiga wouldn't mind submitting to this personality, as long as he would speak in that honey-smooth voice and would take care of him. He took a moment to chase these inappropriate thoughts from his brain.

"I see." Gupta said finally. "If that is the case, India has no objections and will fully support the ceasefire. Under the stipulation that it _will_ lead to permanent peace."

Taiga blinked. What? Had he missed something? That had gone over surprisingly well and _fast_. Hsu and Chang visibly relaxed, while Akashi only allowed himself a small relieved exhale, before pulling his mask back on.

"I expect there are a few more details that the President wants to have ironed out?" Lin asked into the silence.

"Yes. I have prepared a list of requirements and also demands that need to be met."

"I am sure we will find a solution. However, I am not qualified to represent my country beyond the point of agreement and the signage of a provisional treaty. I will need to contact my side and delegate the news to commence negotiations by means of a schooled diplomat and political representative."

"Very well. Tell us what you need and we'll provide." Lin said.

"I suggest we set this decision in stone, here and now." Chang said. "I would hate for all of this to fall through, should something happen to one of us."

"And what do you expect to happen, Major?" Gupta asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Nothing. But I have been a soldier for most of my life, Field Marshal. My instincts tell me that the last word has not yet been spoken. I know of many an economist who'd rather drag this war into eternity than see their weapon's sales dwindle. And that's just _one_ side of it."

Taiga had a sinking feeling in his gut. He'd been carried along by the relief of peace finally being in arm's reach, but Chang was right. They were not out of the woods yet.

"Very well. I expect your side to draft the documents?" Gupta asked.

"I will personally see to it." Lin replied. "Expect a finished version later this evening. I will send it through."

"And we shall see what needs to be done to contact Captain Akashi's side." Hsu supplied.

"Good. Get back to me, once you have news." Gupta said and a click in the connection signaled her signing.

"Well, I'll better get to work then. Congratulations gentlemen. Although I'm afraid it's not yet time for celebrations." Lin sighed. "It feels unreal after all these years. Never mind. I'll talk to you later Hsu. Captain, it has been a pleasure."

"Likewise."

Another click and the connection was offline.

"Good riddance." Chang said and rubbed a hand over his face. "I never thought I'd live to see this day."

Hsu stared at Akashi with a disbelieving expression. "I shouldn't say anything since I threw in my lot with you, but I didn't quite expect that you'd actually make it. I was mostly running on Chang's enthusiasm."

"Well, thank you, General." Chang said with a grin. "Glad I could be of service." "Oh, shut up."

"This wasn't possible without your cooperation." Akashi said with an incline of his head.

"I guess that's true. Although you'd have to thank Chang for that. I would have shot you without question. Anyway, I should get going. There is much that needs to be done. I got to make sure no one gets it in their head to go for some last minute revenge."

"Right. I should contact my side as well." Akashi said.

"Tell Chang what you need. He'll get it for you." Hsu pushed up from his chair. "I'll be going then." He nodded once and then walked out of the tent.

"You heard the man." Chang said with a grin. "What can I get you?"

"The easiest approach would be a personal one." Akashi said. "But I suppose we do not have the time to fly us home." And maybe it was coincidence, or maybe just a subconscious thing, but for one reason or another, Akashi had put his hand on Taiga's knee just as he had said 'us'.

"You'd be shot down, before you even reached the pacific." Chang said. "It's gotta be comm. lines only."

"Do you have a satellite phone?" Akashi asked. "I'm afraid everything else might be unsafe."

"Sure, don't tell Gupta though. It's iridium. You got a satellite to use? Because I got to tell you, ours are definitely _not_ safe. We've pretty much given up on trying; it's not worth it when we have landlines." He shrugged. Taiga grimaced. Landlines were a luxury they did not have. But that was only to be expected.

"Not exactly. But I know how to utilize one that should be comparably safe. Satellite communication is vulnerable, but in this case will be from an unexpected source." Akashi smiled wryly. "The NHK satellite is not exactly a target for military espionage."

"Isn't that a television network?" Chang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly."

"Okay, sure. That should cover it. I'd still suggest you speak in code or something. I'll be back. It might take a while. The damn thing has the habit of going missing." Chang shook his head. "People still use it for private matters. No one cares if the neighbor's cat has got kittens."

"What if it's code?" Taiga asked.

Chang stared at him for a moment before breaking out into laughter. "I hadn't even thought of that. We could have used old grannies at home to relay messages all along. What a terrible waste of resources." He wiped nonexistent tears from his eyes. "Priceless." He nodded and finally stood up. "I'll be looking for that phone now."

"That is alright. Taiga and I will go for breakfast, if that is acceptable?"

"Sure. I'll see you in the mess tent." With that, Chang was gone.

"Shall we?" Akashi asked and pulled his hand away from Taiga's knee.

Taiga nodded. He was still somewhat overwhelmed with what he had just witnessed. It was a good thing too, as his stomach loudly reminded him that it had yet to be fed. He'd skipped out on way too many meals recently.

* * *

"You were amazing." Taiga said a few minutes later and after he had filled his plate with sufficient amounts of food. "I don't know if you were bluffing or just playing your cards really well, but I've never seen something this amazing."

"That remains to be seen." Akashi said tiredly.

"I guess it's too early to celebrate. But." Taiga shook his head. "You did it, Akashi. You brought peace." He still couldn't believe it.

"With the help of a lot of hot air." Akashi said drily.

"But that's what you meant yesterday, isn't it? You know the whole thing about faking power and intimidating your opponents into thinking you had the upper hand."

"In its essence, yes. Although I was not planning on utilizing that behavioral pattern for the second part of the negotiations." Akashi admitted. "I did not expect India to seek a confrontation this early on. I have to admit I underestimated them quite a bit."

"But it turned out alright. Sorry, I couldn't be of much help. Diplomacy is not my thing."

Akashi gave him a smile. "You did plenty. I could not have pulled it off, without your support."

Taiga quirked his eyebrows. "Now you're just making things up."

"Not at all. Your presence served to ground me. If nothing else, that made negotiations easier."

"If you say so." Taiga said with a grin. "Glad I could be of help."

Akashi paused for a moment. He seemed pensive. "Taiga, there is something I'd like to discuss-"

Just then they were interrupted by the blaring sound of a siren. At once, everyone in the mess hall jumped to their feet, abandoning whatever it was they were doing with the well-trained efficiency of long-time soldiers.

Taiga had jumped to his feet and moved around the table to cover Akashi, before his brain could quite register what was going on.

"Attack?" Akashi asked.

"Don't know. Probably." The mess hall had cleared out in a matter of seconds and they were the only ones left.

"We should-" A violent blast outside interrupted Akashi's words, shaking the ground they were standing on.

"We're under attack." Chang burst into the tent, combat vest hanging off his arms half undone. "In case you haven't noticed."

"Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea." Taiga threw back.

Chang grinned. "Good, I like your battle nerves. Now come with me. I'd rather not peel your guts from the tarp once this is over." With that he dived back out of the tent.

Taiga moved to the tent door, checked the outside and waved Akashi through, once he deemed it safe. This had been part of his _S.W.O.R.D._ training, but it had never felt this natural to do the whole bodyguard routine as it did now.

Outside seemed clear so far. The sirens had stopped and there were sounds of fighting in the distance, but no immediate threat was visible. Which didn't mean they were safe, judging by the scorch marks on the ground and the one tent that had keeled over after, a grenade had hit its side. At least the tarp was not inflammable.

"I have to admit," Akashi said while they were sprinting to catch up with Chang, "this is my first hostile combat situation outside of theory and in direct proximity. Chang had sought cover behind one of the steel barricades erected around the camp up in the Northern part of the camp. "It is quite different than I imagined."

"Okay." Taiga waited until Akashi had hid behind the barricade, before diving behind it himself. There was a retractable steel jalousie that provided cover from camp site as well. Chang pulled it down halfway as soon as they were in. More explosions rocked the ground and there was gun-fire in the distance. The main body of the stationed forces seemed to converge towards the South of the camp. Taiga didn't understand any of the orders being thrown around in hurried Chinese or Indian. "I'll protect you."

He took a moment to reach out and squeeze Akashi's arm in reassurance, before turning back to Chang. "What's the situation?"

"Quite frankly, a shitty one." Chang said, before barking something in his radio, waited a moment until there was reply. He spoke again before putting it down. "We're under attack by the American-Japanese army, I guess this is a last-ditch effort to apprehend the two of you. Or maybe they just got bored. I don't plan to go and find out personally. Anyway, I managed to locate the phone, but it is currently still in the supply tent, where Corporal Kwan has hid it in his infinite wisdom so he could phone his girl at home in peace. Don't ask. I am planning on kicking his butt myself if he makes it out of this. Anyway, we need to put a lid on this asap. I hate to admit it, but we can't identify the position from which they're firing. It's rather difficult to fire back without a target." Chang sighed heavily. "I'm afraid it's… no, never mind. It has no impact on your task."

"I should be able to put an end to the attack. I can't say how long it will take though. I need to reach the right channels and they will have to put pressure on the minister of defense. It may take a while. Which is to say, it may take too long."

Chang's expression was grim but he nodded. "I understand what you are saying. I won't ask you to support us against your people, but I will ask you to get that phone and get the message across. I'm afraid quite a lot of lives depend on that. We are well prepared, but not quite for _this._ " He did not elaborate what _this_ exactly was.

Before Akashi could answer, Chang's radio crackled to life. "Major, we're under heavy fire." A frantic voice said. There were gunshots in the background, sounding awfully close. "I'm afraid we can't hold the outpost much longer."

Chang cursed. "Alright. Hold out for two more minutes. I'll be there with reinforcements." He turned to Akashi.

"Go, we will take care of the phone." Akashi said quickly. "Your men need you, go."

Chang gave him a searching look. "You are a good person." He said and with that he was gone. Taiga heard him shout something on the way and moments later a soldier, Lotus division, dropped down next to them.

"I'm your guide. The Major asked me to escort you to the supply tent." He nodded to each of them. He looked young, but his eyes held that expression Taiga had seen all too often on the battlefield - the grim determination of someone not afraid to die.

Taiga pulled out his hand gun, checked the magazine routinely, and handed it to Akashi. "Just in case." Then he turned to the soldier. "We're good to go."

"Good." The soldier unlatched the jalousie and it snapped back with a loud metallic clank. "They haven't entered camp ground yet, but they're increasing their aim with the grenade launchers. We should hurry." He eyed the area before them. More tents had collapsed and there were small fires now burning in places where flammable material had been left outside. A group of soldiers had manned the mounted machine gun at the Northern camp site, but no enemy was yet in sight. That would change soon enough.

The soldier gestured for them to wait, before making his way through the empty space between barricades and actual camp ground. He took cover behind a large pile of metals crates.

"At least the cover is reliable." Akashi said dryly. "Those are my father's company's weapon crates for shipment."

Taiga whistles through his teeth. "That's some awful irony."

"You don't have to tell me." Akashi said with a sigh. "That's our signal." He said a moment later when the soldiers waved for them to follow.

"You first. I'll cover your back." Taiga said and Akashi followed without arguing. Taiga took a deep breath before he stepped up himself. He wouldn't let his reputation claim another victim. He had never believed in it before, but now, with so much at stake, he could not help the fear that settled in his belly that the rumors were true after all. Life was regrettably fragile.

They continued in that fashion until they reached a large tent at the Western end of the camp. The tent had collapsed after a grenade had detonated right on top of it.

"Shit." Taiga said. The explosion had happened right above the center, the tent had collapsed inwards while most of the outer supports were still standing. It was impossible to survey the damage inside.

"The good news is, the phone is supposedly blast proof." The soldier said drily.

"Isn't that just bright and peachy." Taiga muttered under his breath. He kept looking around frantically. They were without cover - except the measly remains of a blasted tent - and it was only a matter of time before another grenade would hit. There was not a lot he could do in that event but he was fully prepared to throw himself over Akashi as protection.

He'd never thought this day would actually come.

"Alright," Akashi said and god, how did he sound so sure in this fucked up situation. "We will take over from here. Do you know where the phone was supposedly located within the tent?"

"No, Sir. Sorry, Sir." The soldier seemed to respond reflexively to the note of command in Akashi's voice. He caught himself a moment later and relaxed marginally. "Corporal Kwan only said he had hidden it in a crate. Considering the general traffic of goods, I'd say it is one of the crates in the back."

"Thank you, soldier." Akashi nodded. "Go and support your comrades, we will take it from here." The man saluted and was gone a moment later.

Akashi approached the tent. The door was still intact, but badly bent out of shape and would likely not open. "We have no idea of the situation inside. I do not expect anything dangerous, but if a blast were to hit we'd be trapped. I will cut an opening on the left side, you on the other. We will-"

"No." Taiga said immediately. "I will go in and you will take cover."

Akashi's head snapped around so fast it had to have given him whiplash. "Are you disobeying me, Kagami Taiga?" It was like a switch had been flipped. Akashi seemed like a totally different person, much colder than the Akashi he had gotten to know.

Fighting his urge to obey without question, Taiga drew himself to his full height. Not the smartest decision on a battlefield, but he had to make a point. "You are important." He ground out. "More important than me. I can't risk you going in there. If we lose you, it's _over_."

"We will be faster if we both go in." Akashi said, but the aura of absolute command had already left him. Now he was merely arguing his point.

"Maybe." Taiga allowed. "But in there, we will be sitting ducks. And I-" He cut himself off. He couldn't bring some superstition into this. Just because he was doubting didn't mean he had to drag it out into the open. "I need to know you are safe," was what he finally settled on.

Akashi, who had been about to say something closed his mouth with an audible pop.

"That's not fair." Akashi said softly.

"It isn't. It's not supposed to be. But I am your bodyguard. And I've survived worse. Hell, I was made to endure worse. I can handle it-" Too many grenade explosions in too close vicinity had driven that point home rather effectively. That had to count for something. "Just let me handle this, okay?"

Akashi nodded and then turned to seek shelter behind another stack of crates, propped up next to a tent further down. But before he started walking, he suddenly whirled around to pull Taiga into a quick, passionate kiss. "Take care." He whispered fiercely.

"I will." Taiga whispered back. Then he turned to the tent. He circled around until he reached what must have been the back. Taiga pulled out his knife and made short work of the tarp. Inside was a mess as predicted, but not as bad as it could have been. Most of the crates had withstood the explosion. The tent tarp was torn in many places, and there was a large hole in the center of it, where the explosion had hit, but the back of the tent was largely intact, save for scattered supplies and turned over shelves.

Taiga opened the first crate. Inside was tightly packed ammunition. These crates were definitely worth their money, Taiga thought. If they had been damaged and caught fire the whole thing would have gone up in flames. Taiga helped himself to a pack of ammo and closed the crate. He hoped that Corporal Kwan in his infinite wisdom hadn't hidden the phone too well. A satellite phone had its uses, but secrecy was none of them, so he figured it wasn't that big of a deal. But to hide the only phone of the entire camp for private means was inconsiderate at best.

Something flew overhead, casting a quickly moving shadow. Taiga ducked instinctively, even though he was out of sight at the back of the tent. He tried to catch a glimpse of it, but it flew past the opening too fast, all he caught was a flash of steely grey. An uneasy feeling settled in his chest.

He made short work of all the crates he could reach. None contained the satellite phone. Satellite phones were rather large in nature, so it shouldn't have slipped him by, but that didn't change the fact that it was nowhere to be found. Could it have been in one of the other crates? Or maybe somewhere else entirely? Taiga cursed. If it had been in the center of the tent, there was no way he would get it from under the rubble in time.

Just then he caught something out of the corner of his eyes. From behind one of the turned over shelves peeked a black rectangular object. It looked as though someone had tried to hide it at the back of the shelf and it had fallen down when the entire thing had collapsed. Taiga moved a crate out of the way and picked it up. It was the satellite phone, Taiga noted with substantial relief. It seemed to be fine too, although the display was black. He checked the back once more if there was any equipment he had missed. There wasn't.

He quickly moved back to the opening he'd cut. The explosions had stopped since a while now, but Taiga had a feeling that it wasn't because they'd fended off the attack. He couldn't see Akashi from his position, so Taiga quickly made his way back to the front of the tent. He took a quick look around to make sure the coast was still clear, before rushing over to the crates.

Akashi was nowhere in sight. Cold fear punched Taiga right in the gut. He looked around frantically, cursing inwardly and panicking, because _where was he?_ Did something happen? No, it couldn't be. He would have heard. Akashi was just checking something out and would be back any moment now. He ignored the pointed thought that Akashi wouldn't do something this irresponsible. But it had to be that. It couldn't be.

 _It couldn't be._

Taiga's hands were shaking. He clipped the phone to his belt and gripped the handles of his assault rifle. He couldn't panic. Not now when it was so vital that he keep his calm. Akashi was important to the both sides, they wouldn't just kill him. But there were people who would. They might not go after him openly, but this was a war zone. Anything could happen.

Taiga stomped down on the panic that welled up.

The crates were undisturbed, there had been no fight. Maybe Akashi had been caught off guard. He had been keeping an eye out for Taiga when he had been approached from behind.

Stupid. How could Taiga have been this stupid? Inside the tent, at least he would have been able to protect Akashi. The shaking was getting worse.

Deep breaths. He needed to stay calm.

The ground was trampled dirt. Foot prints. No sign of something being dragged. No blood. Akashi had walked away from this. Whoever was behind this, had wanted him alive. Taiga took a closer look at the footprints scattered around. But he had no idea which one belonged to Akashi and which didn't, or even if they were recent. But there was something else that caught his eyes. There were marks in the dirt, as if something pointy had been dragged through it. Something like the tip of a sheathed katana.

The marks were irregular, only about half a meter long, before breaking off, but they were definitely leading away from the crates. It could have been something unrelated, but Taiga had a feeling this was exactly what Akashi would do in a situation like this.

He followed the tracks as they wound around another tent and in between the rows of tents where the soldiers slept. The marks grew sparser the farther he got, and without much thinking, Taiga quickened his steps. He rounded a corner and found himself face to face with a pair of Japanese soldiers.

They all froze for a moment. They hadn't seen him coming either and the fact pretty much saved his life. Taiga reacted instinctively. He didn't bother to bring his weapon into position. He dropped to his knees, bringing up one of his legs at the same time and using it to sweep the feet from under both men. They were caught off guard. One tried to fire his gun, but the fall messed up his aim and sent a spray of bullets into the air away from Taiga.

Taiga jumped to his feet and kicked the offending gun out of the man's hands, before using the butt of his own rifle to knock him out. The other had gathered his wits and reached for his radio, pressing the transmission button just as Taiga knocked him out as well. The whole thing had gone down in less than five seconds, but Taiga felt like he had just run marathon.

There was a whole pile of issues with what just happened, least of which was that he had just almost killed two of his former comrades - heck he _recognized_ them, even if only by sight - but Taiga decided he could deal with that later.

The scuffle had erased the tracks in his vicinity, but Taiga spotted another one a few paces away. This time he readied his gun, before taking up the trail. He'd rather not think about what it would mean if it came to another fight. Akashi had top priority. The phone bumped against his leg with every step and he could only hope that he would make it. If they didn't call off the attack soon- Taiga resolutely shook the thoughts from his head.

He broke free from the tent area and all of a sudden, the world was tossed into chaos. Two groups of soldiers were locked in a firefight. Japanese and American troops were pressing in from the East side. They had taken over the barricades and were using them as cover against the defending Chinese and Indian soldiers who had built a makeshift barricade out of more weapon crates.

Taiga ducked back behind one of the tents, using it as a sight shield. He scanned both sides for a telltale flash of red, but the angle was bad so he couldn't see enough. There were dead bodies scattered on the ground between the two sides, but none had red hair. At least that was a relief. The trail marks had been completely erased however.

He felt a strange surge of emotions at the sight. He had never felt particularly loyal to the cause, but he was Japanese in his heart. He'd hated the people who put a collar on him, but they were his fellow countrymen. And he had spent years fighting against the Chinese, and while he never exactly lost family or friends to _them_ , the animosity was deeply ingrained. If it weren't for Akashi, he'd turn his back on this fight and walk away.

But that wasn't an option. Taiga fell back into the rows of tents and made his way to the outermost point of the area. From there, he could just see behind the barricades the enemy was hiding behind. And there, pressed face first into the ground, was a body with a flash of red hair. Taiga felt anger build in his chest and he had to dig his nails into the palm of his hands to keep from reacting blindly.

A soldier - he recognized him as Susa, one of Imayoshi's adjutants - was kneeling on Akashi's back, pressing the point of his gun into his head while talking into a radio.

Taiga calculated his options. He was maybe 100 meters away from the first soldier. Their focus was entirely on the fight. There were seven soldiers in total, between him and Akashi. Another five were on his other side.

He couldn't kill all of them, before Susa would pull the trigger, let alone waste the time to knock them out cold instead. He closed his eyes. He didn't belief in a higher power. He had never been religious, but the last shreds of faith he might have had, had died when he had lost his family. But now he was praying all the same. Praying to anyone that could hear him, anyone that _cared_ to give him a miracle.

No one answered.

Susa had finished his conversation. He yanked Akashi up, by the back of his uniform. Akashi moved slowly, sluggishly and he stumbled once, only to be harshly caught by Susa who had lowered his gun to do so.

Taiga was moving before he could make the conscious decision to do so. He shifted his gun to his shoulder to have his arms free. He approached from an angle, carefully monitoring the occupied soldiers. In the distance, from the corner of his eyes, Taiga saw a jeep approaching. They weren't going to kill Akashi immediately, there was no reason to. He was a traitor now. They could put him on trial and execute him without a fuss.

Taiga gritted his teeth and ran faster. He would make it before the jeep, barely. One of the soldiers spotted him and Taiga threw up his arms and waved, shouting 'don't shoot' at the top of his lungs. The soldiers, a man Taiga had occasionally played cards with, lowered his weapon, confusion written on his face.

Now that he was closer Taiga could see that there were no S.W.O.R.D.s among the soldiers.

"Don't shoot me. I was forced along. I'm on your side." Taiga shouted as he entered the area behind the barricades. Susa had noticed him now, frowning and lifting his weapon. Akashi stood on wobbly feet next to him, eyes half closed and now Taiga could see the trail of blood running down his temple from a wound hidden behind the veil of his hair.

More and more soldiers noticed his presence, but the ongoing fight bound their attention. Susa seemed unsure.

"Don't shoot." Taiga yelled.

Susa's eyes widened as he realized that Taiga didn't intend to stop his approach. Faster than Taiga had expected, Susa raised his gun and fired. Taiga threw up his arms in reflex. He felt the impact in his right arm, a sharp stab of pain that travelled through his upper and into his lower arm . He threw himself at Susa before he could fire another shot, dragging both him and Akashi down to the ground. He made a grab for the gun and forced it out of the stunned Susa's hand.

Two of the soldiers had abandoned the fight and were pointing their guns at them, just as the jeep came to a screeching halt, bearing Imayoshi and two soldiers, all aiming at him as well. Taiga pressed the barrel of the stolen gun against Susa's temple. He pressed down Akashi with the weight of his body, providing as best a shield as he could.

The pain was hitting him now with debilitating force. His grip on the gun's handle was weak and slippery with blood, but Taiga couldn't afford to change hands now. Despite the pain, despite the blood seeping from the two wounds in his lower arm and the bullet grating against bones in his upper arm, Taiga gripped the gun harder, shifting to draw Imayoshi's attention to it.

He had to be careful while reaching down into the folds of Akashi's jacket, hoping that it was still there, that Akashi had not lost it or put it somewhere else. It might be their only chance to get out of this.

"Kagami," Imayoshi said, completely bereft of his usual fox-like amusement. "What a pleasure that you could make an appearance."

"Yeah, can't say the same about you." Taiga said. It was hard to stay focused through the pain. It was harder to pretend he wasn't as affected as he was. And he couldn't shake the feeling that Imayoshi could see through him anyway.

"I hope you don't get any wrong ideas, Kagami." Imayoshi said. "Akashi here is a traitor. I am willing to overlook your involvement, if you stand down now. This is already more than enough of a mess."

Akashi lay absolutely still, didn't even give away with a twitch that Taiga was fumbling through his pockets. Taiga's fingers skimmed over something metal. Small, sharp edges. He closed his hand around it. Faintly, he could feel the rise and fall of Akashi's chest. Taiga focused on that, the steady reminder that Akashi was still alive.

"You're wrong." Taiga said steadily. He forced his shaking right arm to obey, pressing the barrel of the gun against Susa's temple. Blood was flowing from his fingers, along the barrel and dripping down on Susa's skin. "Akashi is not a traitor. And you need to stop this attack."

Imayoshi considered him for a moment. "You'll excuse me if I don't believe you. I don't know what he has told you, but I daresay your presence in the middle of the enemy camp - free of binds no less - is very much self explanatory." He sighed. "Now step away."

Taiga swallowed. The vision across his eyes began swimming, blurring in and out of focus. He couldn't feel his right arm at all past the blinding pain. He could not move it, even if he wanted to. "No," he said. His voice was shaky and he hated it.

"I'm afraid that leaves me no choice." Imayoshi sounded almost regretful.

"You can't do that." Taiga felt himself swaying.

"I'm afraid you are in no position nor condition to stop me." Imayoshi shifted his gun, pointing it right at Kagami.

Taiga felt fresh sweat break out on his skin. He had to end this and soon.

"Sir, we have subdued the Eastern access point." One of the soldiers in the jeep next to Imayoshi reported. Taiga hadn't even noticed that most of the gun sounds had stopped.

"What about the rest?"

"There is still concentrated resistance in the North part of the camp, but we are closing in with drones. It should only be a matter of time."

A moment of shock drowned out the raging pain in his arm. "You used drones?" He blurted without thinking. "That's forbidden."

"All is fair in love and war." Imayoshi said, voice hard now. "I could not allow Japanese military secrets to be handed over to our enemies. You have only yourself to blame for this situation. It does seem to be a trend with you."

Taiga gritted his teeth. "Say Imayoshi. Is it also called regicide when you kill a prince?"

Imayoshi blinked. "Whatever could you be referring to now?"

"This." Taiga pulled the seal from Akashi's jacket and held it out for Imayoshi to see.

The surprise on Imayoshi's face seemed genuine. "Is that…?"

"The Imperial seal." Someone whispered in awe.

Imayoshi's mouth worked, but it took a while until he spoke again. "What is the meaning of this?" The soldiers around them had lowered their guns. The entire atmosphere had shifted from hostile to confused.

"Akashi is a prince." Taiga said. He had difficulties to keep his arm from shaking. His brain felt fuzzy but he forced the memory to surface all the same. "Prince Akishino Seijuurou, eighth in line to the Imperial throne of Japan. He came here under orders of his family to negotiate a peace treaty."

"That's…" Imayoshi swallowed. Shook his head. "That's not possible."

"It's real." Taiga said. The blood loss was getting to him. The world was a blur and the ground underneath him was trying to shake him off. Too late did he realize that it wasn't the ground but Akashi who was moving. Taiga lost purchase and slid to the side, falling and too weakened to do much to catch his fall. The pain in his arm upon impact with the ground was jarring and startled Taiga's senses back to clarity.

"Apologies," Akashi's cool and modulated voice said somewhere above him. "You were getting heavy."

Taiga opened his mouth, but a cool and gentle hand shushed him. Akashi patted his cheek once in reassurance before sitting up in perfect seiza. He picked the seal from the ground where Taiga had dropped it.

"Taiga is correct." He said calmly. "I am an Imperial prince."

Imayoshi ran a hand through his hair. After a moment of short deliberation he gave his soldiers the sign to stand down, an order that was all but symbolic at this point. Everyone had already lowered their guns. "Explain." He demanded harshly.

Taiga couldn't see Akashi's face from this angle, but he could imagine the cool mask of impatience he had to be wearing. But he didn't give Imayoshi the harsh rebuttal Taiga was expecting. "It is as Taiga said. I have been sent here to carry out this secret mission. It is time for peace."

"Okay. Let's say I believe you. Why did you act on your own?"

"Was I not clear enough? I was assigned a top secret mission. This could have very easily gone awry. I did not wish to endanger anyone but myself." His hand, resting softly on Taiga's cheek tensed minutely, before his thumb started rubbing soft circles into Taiga's skin.

Imayoshi frowned. "And this mission was so secret, that you couldn't confide in anyone, took one of our most prized _S.W.O.R.D.s_ with you and just jumped ship for show?"

You of all people should be aware that I was in no position to trust my safety in anyone's hands."Imayoshi's lips spread into that all too familiar fox grin. "Right. So why exactly did the minister of defense's right hand man go to such great lengths to suggest to me I take care of his little problem? I suppose you got an answer for that as well?"

"The situation at home is no longer as clear cut as it used to be and the people have demanded for peace for quite a while now. The minister of defense has lost much of his support. I suppose little of that has reached your ears?"

Imayoshi seemed as though he was about to laugh for a moment. "You got to be kidding me. So he put a hit on you, knowing you wouldn't tell anyone of your identity. What did you do, piss on his cat?"

Akashi exhaled on what could be a laugh."War is lucrative," was all he said.

"Fucking warmonger." Imayoshi swore with so much venom, the soldiers around him stared at him with open surprise.

"Now, as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I'm afraid there is some serious damage control to be done."

Imayoshi sighed. "I can't just call off the attack. It's been issued by the minister himself. The soldiers will stop, but the drones." He gestured to the North side of the camp, where flickering lights and explosions signified the ongoing battle.

"Akashi." Taiga's voice came out fuzzy and barely audible. But instantly, Akashi's attention was on him.

"Don't speak. I'll take care of you soon." Akashi soothed. He rubbed his thumb over Taiga's cheek, gently and faintly trembling. Taiga could see a note of fear in his eyes.

"The phone." He mumbled. Speaking was hard. Difficult. Splotches of black were invading his vision. He'd tried to stem the bleeding, but there were too many holes, too many jagged edges of skin he couldn't hold together. "Belt." He said, tongue feeling like a large slimy tentacle too big for his mouth.

Akashi understood immediately. Taiga barely felt as he pulled the phone from his belt. He was fading in and out of consciousness now. He wasn't sure if he would wake up again. He'd lost so much blood. It was all over him and Akashi.

And he hadn't even told Akashi the most important thing yet.

 _Love you_. He didn't know if he had said it out loud or just in his head. But there was a hand on his cheek, shaking but holding on and there was wetness where there shouldn't be and the pain was finally gone. He hoped he'd said it aloud. He didn't want blood to be the last thing he gave to Akashi. Taiga's world sank into darkness.

* * *

Taiga was dragged awake by a cluster of frantic voices. They were loud and urgent, but no matter how hard Taiga tried, he could not make out what they were saying. His head felt heavy and stuffed with cotton. There was a bitter taste on his tongue and he felt like someone had hit him with a steamroller.

He tried to speak, but he couldn't even find the muscles to work his mouth. He knew they were there, they had to be, but he could no longer them work. His eyelids felt like lead but he managed to open them just a tiny slit. Blurred shapes moved in and out of his vision, carrying the voices with them.

He felt so heavy, like he was being dragged into the ground.

 _Sedative_ , his addled brain provided after what seemed like an eternity. There was a stab of panic and Taiga felt some of the sluggishness being flushed from his body by the spike of adrenaline, but it wasn't enough. His vision cleared some, however and he could identify the moving shapes as people.

With incredible effort he managed to lift his arm - left one, the right seemed like it was a large slab of immovable stone - and felt for his neck. His fingers dragged along the smooth metal curve of the collar. He didn't know what he had expected or what this discovery told him. He didn't know a great many things at the moment like where he was or what had happened. He felt like he was floating in a deep, dark pool. Somewhere above him was the surface with all the answers, but he could not find the strength to reach there. A red shape entered his vision. He squinted and the shape sharpened into Akashi. Instantly, a feeling of peace and warmth settled in his body. His arm fell sluggishly to the side and his eyelids were dragging down with irresistible force.

A cool touch fluttered down his temple and Taiga sank back into oblivion to the sound of his name.

* * *

He woke an indeterminable amount of time later. The world was moving around him and it took him a moment to realize that he was in a car. It took him even longer to realize that someone was holding on to his hand and the odd sensation that hit the skin on his face at infrequent intervals was tears. He couldn't open his eyes.

Who would ever cry for him?

He thought of Tatsuya, but Tatsuya was gone and so was his father. Everyone who had ever been important to him was gone. There was no one left.

And then, from somewhere deep in his memories another name rose. A name dipped in scarlet and warmth.

His lips formed the name on their own accord. The grip on his hands squeezed in response.

The relief dragged Taiga under, once more.

* * *

The next time Taiga woke, his mind was clear. He remembered what happened, where he was and the danger that had yet to be resolved. Still, his mind's alertness couldn't make up for the sluggish feeling in his limbs. His right arm was wrapped in a tight bandage and fixed to his chest. He felt weak and exhausted, as though he had just run a marathon. His throat was parched and he was sure he could have eaten an ox, hadn't he felt rather queasy.

He forced his body into an upwards position and took stock of his surroundings. He was in a tent, standard issue for military desert operations. He had spent the last years in one of these tents. Only this one was smaller - the kind issued to high ranking officers - and reeked of antiseptics.

Taiga pushed off the cot he had been lying on, only to find his movements inhibited by a large I.V. drop hooked to his elbow. There was also a rather restricting feeling on his temple, like something had been wrapped too tightly around it. Taiga prodded a cautious finger against his temple and was surprised to find a thick layer of gauze obstructing him.

Why the fuck did he have a bandage around his head? He'd been shot in the arm, not his head. He checked again, just to make sure he hadn't imagined everything. But the bandage was still there. He felt his way along the bandage, trying to find whatever was the reason for it and found it moments later when his probing was met with a dull flare of pain. He felt around the area and found that there was no bump or swelling, just a dull ache whenever he pushed too hard.

It dawned on him then that there could only be one reason for this. With a shaking hand, because this could just not be, he reached for his neck. But he already knew what he would find - or rather wouldn't find. The collar was gone. His fingers hit skin and nothing else.

Tentatively, he reached up to prod at the bandage again. The pain was still there. He should be mad probably, that someone had operated on him without his knowledge or consent. But he couldn't quite find the anger to do so. The collar was gone. The chip was gone. And Taiga felt the very strong and sudden urge to cry.

The tent flap rustled and caught his attention. Akashi came to a surprised stop when he saw Taiga sitting on the cot. Taiga, mind still muddled, had a hard time following all the emotions flitting over Akashi's face before settling on relief.

"Taiga, you are awake." He said with a smile that spoke so much more than his words did.

Taiga felt a weight lift from his own heart. Somehow it felt as though the world had gained clarity. Maybe the chip had impeded his senses, or it was an aftereffect of the drugs, but Akashi seemed to be bathed in a glowing, golden light.

"You're not dead." Taiga marveled and reached out his hand. Akashi tensed and Taiga's hand froze in the air.

Akashi put down the tray of food he had carried on the table next to the cot, before facing Taiga. "Why would I be dead?" He asked with a very carefully schooled expression.

Taiga frowned and pulled his hand back. Had something happened? "I don't know." He said honestly. "It's just a thing that happens to my handlers." He had wanted to say something else - he had wanted to say 'my most important people' - but he'd faltered at the last moment. Something in Akashi's expression had made the words die on his tongue.

Something in Akashi's expression shifted. There was a hint of sadness, regret maybe? "I'm not your handler anymore." Akashi said. Taiga's frown deepened. Did Akashi regret that? He hadn't moved away from the table yet. Taiga wanted to reach out again. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around Akashi, be reminded that both of them were _alive,_ but he felt weighed down by the cool and guarded expression on Akashi's face.

He watched Akashi's face, but there was no sign of what was wrong. "What about the war?" He finally asked. Akashi seemed to relax at the topic. It was marginal, but to Taiga it was obvious all the same. He felt an odd stab of pain at that.

"It's over. This morning, a peace treaty was officially signed between China, India, America and Japan. Russia and Korea intend to follow soon. And it won't be long until the Southeast Asian defense alliance will follow as well."Taiga didn't expect the overwhelming feeling of relief that flooded his system. He also couldn't fight the grin that spread on his lips. "Akashi, that's great."

"The world owes you a great debt." Akashi said.

Taiga blinked. "I didn't do anything. It was your plan. I just tagged along."

Akashi shook his head. "My plan only got us that far. It was your efforts that sealed it."

"Can we just agree that we were both responsible?"

Akashi smiled. "Alright."

"Now come here, I want to hug you."

Instantly, the guarded expression was back on Akashi's face. "Taiga," he said warningly.

Taiga felt his heart sink. He had suspected something like this from the moment Akashi had walked in. He looked down at the floor. He should have waited before addressing this topic. There was so much he'd liked to ask, about the chip, their current location and everything that had happened since he blacked out. But if this was really it, he'd rather not spend more time in Akashi's company than he had to. It would be too painful.

"Okay," he said and willed his voice not to shake. "I understand." Maybe, if he'd increased whatever it was that dripped through the I.V. the pain would be numbed.

"Taiga," Akashi said again and he even took a step forward.

"No, it's alright." Taiga forced out. The ground was getting blurry and he wished Akashi would finally leave so that he could grieve in peace. "You are a prince and I'm just a no one. It was nice, it really was…" His voice wasn't cooperating anymore. He remembered then, the last few moments before he had passed out and what he had said. He hadn't been thinking straight. But of course, that would put Akashi off. As long as he could pretend this was some casual hook-up there had been no problem. But Taiga had to go and make it into something more than it actually was.

"Taiga, what are you saying?" Akashi asked. He had taken another step closer, his feet invading Taiga's field of vision.

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" Taiga said and he hated how weak and vulnerable his voice sounded. "You're going to tell me it's over. It was a nice little adventure, but now you're returning home to your family and duties and there is no place for someone like me." It hurt to say it, but he couldn't stop. If he drove the dagger deep enough, maybe it would take out his heart for good.

"Taiga." Akashi sounded so broken, it was hard to keep looking down. He wanted to get up and comfort him so badly. "This isn't what this is about at all." And then Akashi sank to his knees in front of him. "Please, would you look at me?" He asked and finally Taiga obliged. Akashi wasn't crying like him, but his eyes were large and wet and the sight set off Taiga's water works for good.

"Don't cry." Akashi whispered. "I'm sorry, Taiga. That wasn't what I meant. I would never just leave you."

"What's it then?" Taiga's voice came out muffled and he tried hard to hold back the sobs.

Akashi hesitated for a moment, a torn expression on his face, but then he reached out and wrapped his hand around Taiga's. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Taiga. I wasn't thinking. I should have known better."

Taiga blinked. The tears ebbed some, dammed by his surprise. "What are you talking about?"

There was a hint of pain in Akashi's eyes. "I took advantage of you."

Taiga could only stare. "No, you didn't."

Akashi took a deep breath. "I had sex with you while you were wearing the collar."

Taiga stared, uncomprehending. "So?"

Akashi sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "There were consent issues. You couldn't refuse me."

Understanding dawned on Taiga. Still, it didn't make any sense. "Of course I could have. I was very much willing; I'll have you know that."

"But I could have forced you. As long as you wore the collar and it was locked to my signature I was in a position of power over you. I could have asked anything of you in that situation and you would have been forced to oblige. Every decision you made was overshadowed by me."

"Are you saying that I wasn't able to make a decision for myself?"

Akashi gave a frustrated sigh. "That isn't what I'm saying. I believe you when you say you were willing when we had sex. That's not the issue. But if you hadn't been willing, you might still have felt compelled to give in to me, due to the power I held over you."

"Okay now. That is bullshit." Taiga said. "You would have never done that."

"But I could have. It was within the realm of possibilities."

"So what? You could have done a great many things. Not deactivating my collar for one thing. And if you're really going on about consent, how about asking before removing that chip from my head?"

Guilt flashed over Akashi's face and he looked away. "I know. But we had to sedate you anyway to get out the bullet and I thought you'd be glad to have the chip out for good." Akashi shook his head. "That's no excuse. I should have consulted you before."

"Hey," Taiga tugged on their entwined hands until Akashi looked back at him. "I'm not mad, okay? I'm not mad that you took out the chip and I'm not mad about the consent thing. I knew what I was doing. And just because you had control over the collar, doesn't mean I would have let you do whatever. And by the time we had sex, you already relinquished most of the control. It's not that I didn't have a choice. And the most important thing, you stopped. As soon as you figured I wasn't ready, you stopped."

Akashi still looked as though he was about to argue, so Taiga quickly beat him to it. "I forgive you."

Akashi blinked. "What?"

"I forgive you for any wrongdoing you think you've done. You obviously have thought long and hard about what you did and that is punishment enough."

"That is not how it works." Akashi complained, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Why not? Is there a rule that dictates how long I should be mad? And it's up to me if I want to be mad in the first place. I'd rather not have you dictate when I should be mad or not."

Akashi exhaled. "You are one stubborn man, Kagami Taiga."

"Shut up and kiss me." Taiga ordered with a grin.

Akashi smiled. "Gladly." He slid forward, still on his knees to lock his lips with Taiga's in a sweet and gentle kiss.

"Okay, so could you stop kneeling please? It makes my knees hurt just from looking." Taiga said after the kiss, lingering with his lips close to Akashi's, just to feel their proximity.

Akashi let Taiga pull him up and onto his lap. He carefully arranged himself so as to not disturb Taiga's injured arm. Taiga happily wrapped his good arm around Akashi's middle."So, how's your head?"

Akashi tilted aforementioned head. "My head?"

"Yeah, you were bleeding when I last saw you."

"Oh that. Ah, you've been asleep for quite a while I have to admit. It is long healed."

"Uh, just how long was I asleep?"

"A bit more than a week."

"Shit." Taiga said. "That long? Was it that bad?"

"You did lose a lot of blood. Thankfully the infirmary tent had survived the attack and we were able to acquire a blood transfusion for you. We then moved you to the Japanese camp to perform surgery on your arm and brain. Harimoto has more experience with these kinds of neural chips. He did keep you under for a few days to make sure the tissue in your brain was healing correctly."

"I guess I've missed a lot then?"

Akashi smiled. "I will be more than happy to fill you in."

Taiga opened his mouth on reflex; then hesitated. But this was too good an opportunity to pass up. "You can fill me with something else as well."

Akashi burst into startled laughter. The sound was as beautiful as Taiga had imagined.

"You are insufferable." He said once he had calmed down.

"But that's what you love about me." Taiga said casually.

Akashi didn't hesitate, when he replied. "Yes, that is one of the reasons."

* * *

Closure? What is closure?


End file.
